The golden trio
by The elusive shadow
Summary: Harry Potter has finally defeated Voldemort. But there is nothing left in this world except for painful memories. So he and his lovers, Ron and Hermione decides to leave. But the new dimension they enter is not what they imagined. Threesome.
1. Prologe

The forest was unusual calm. No wind trashed the trees. No sudden squeak from hunted animals. No sounds as from predators barging throw the bushes. And most important no shouting incantations from humans.

The calmness transcended on three young humans – humans still not used to such peacefulness and tried to keep their mind from searching from dangers.

The war was over, but for many had the wounds not even started to heal. Some wounds never did.

Especially not for the three humans. Or magic wielders as they were, two wizards and one witch. The three of them, although young, had been in the front of the war. When the leaders and the elders died one by one they had stood strong. They had gathered the trembling Light side to one united force. Together they had sacrificed everything, given every bit of strength in their task.

The few survivors thought the war had been won thanks to the three of them – and thus celebrated them as heroes.

Not that they cared though, they were still stuck in their mourning to even think of celebrating.

They were tired.

Which brought them seek out this clearing in the middle of the night.

They were tired; they didn't have the strength to continue leading the magical world. Their task was done. The people expected them to continue the burden of leadership, to lead the world into the new era of peace and prosperity.

They were so tired. What wouldn't they give to get the chance of anonymity. To go to a place were they could start to heal the wounds from the war. To go to a place were they didn't had any expectations on them.

They would never find that place in this world. Everything was still to close, everything was still a painful reminder of their past. So they'll just have to go some were else…

"Are you ready?" asked the twenty years old Ron Weasley as he looked at his two companions.

"As ready as we ever can be" answered Hermione Granger with a nervous smile.

"Okay we have been discussing this millions of time, drawing worst case scenarios, so I don't need to remind you what to do. Just so you know I love you." Said Harry Potter in a soft voice, though calm, hinted of the undying love he felt for his two companions. They would never hide any emotions from each other. Not that they could. Having been through everything together they could easily read in their faces what no one else could.

The two other nodded to him, no words were spoken but he understood.

They were united, forever bonded through war and hardship, but also joy and happiness. Having lived through a war together they were so closely intertwined, so tuned to each others emotions that they almost was one being.

In truth they were one being, and it would be their destruction should one of them die. The two left in the mortal plain should soon perish. Love could be a destructive force but also the only thing that could keep one going when all hope was lost.

"Lets start this, because if we wait much longer I won't be able to resist the urge too look at my notes again." Said Hermione as she sends a longing look to her books on the ground a few steps away.

"Please Mione, you are making me nervous" Said Ron, Hermione shrugged apologetic.

Without further words they moved forward, as by an unspoken command. They stood in the middle of a pentagram; the lines draw in their own blood. They were deep inside the forest. At first had the mysterious creatures that dwelled here had gazed at them curiously but soon left them alone.

The centaurs had greeted them when they had entered the forest a few hours back, but soon left after expressing their farewells, almost knowing what they were about to do.

Grasping each other's hands they started to chant. The guttural words from a long lost land tore throw the silent forest. The words to leave this world. A world finally free from war but no longer could offer any peace for the war hero's. The chanting reached its peak and the drawings started to shine.

The clearing started to pulsate, as the air grew thick with magic. There was a bright light, the light faded as did the magic, revealing an empty clearing. Three was no sign after the three young. A bird let out a chirp and the inhabitants of the forest continued their night.


	2. Brave new world

Harry slowly returned to consciousness, he didn't move however. Instead he lay perfectly still while he let his senses search his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was that he was on a bed. _So I'm not in the forest anymore, _he mused silently. Carefully he extended his hearing, using the wolf part in him. Immediately an array of sound reached his ears. No one was in the room but he could hear people talking and moving down stairs. He opened his eyes and sat up in the bed. He couldn't keep himself from gawping at the room. Whatever he had been expecting this was not it.

It was a medium sized bedroom, furnished with a bed, desk and a closet. The colours were in white and blue, except for a Gryffindore banner in red and gold. He slowly got up from his position on the floor and cautiously explored the room. In the closet he found a Hogwarts trunk and in a bookshelf he found third year course books. It was obvious a boys room. And by the trunks and books he guessed that it was a wizard. He cast a contemplating look at a chest on the floor and the desk drawers.

Shrugging and reaching to open the drawer he was suddenly interrupted when the door suddenly burst open. Harry spun around and reached for his wand. He could barely hold in a curse when he discovered that he didn't had it, he didn't even had his wand holster on him. Without dwelling on the whereabouts of his wand he jumped to a defensive position and looked at the intruder.

It was a middle-aged woman, dressed in something that looked like a mix of muggle clothes and wizarding robes. But Harry didn't watch her clothes. His eyes were fixed on her face and he felt himself freeze. She had auburn coloured hair and green eyes. Eyes so like his own, eyes so many had told him resembled his mother.

Still unable to move all he could to was to stare at her while a buzzing noise started to drown all incomprehensible thoughts. It's a trick, It's a trick his head screamed in denial, still he remained unmoving.

Luckily for him the woman too had stopped and watched him, surprised at his reaction. She saw his tense stance and guarded expression. But it was his eyes that made her really stop. Those eyes were filled with so much pain and sorrow, seemed far too old for his age. The emotions disappeared so quickly she almost thought she had imagined it. The second later empty emerald gazed at her emotionlessly, cold and unforgiving like the killing curse.

"Are you okay honey?" she asked uncertainly. The unexpected words but still strangely right startled him out of his stupor. He gave her a guarded look, still unwilling to relax his pose.

"...Yeah I'm fine," he mumbled.

She approached him and raised her arm. In the last second he prevented himself from attacking her, but he couldn't stop himself from flinching when her hand touched his forehead.

"You are not hot but you do look a bit drowsy," she said in a concerned voice.

"I'm just a bit startled, I was thinking," he said evasive while he wondered who she was. His instincts told him that it was a Death Eater who was sent out to tick him, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what they would gain from such a ploy. Somehow inexplicably he felt himself compelled to believe that what he was seeing actually was true.

"And what pray tell have you so deep in thought that you jump a mile high?"

"I was thinking of my mum," he said while gauge her reaction.

"Thinking of old me, only nice things I hope."

"Calling yourself old, mother dearest?!" he said cheeky, but on the inside he nearly hyperventilated.

"I think James start to rub of on you," she said with a shake of her head while watching him with a searching look. Harry just shrugged and she continued.

"Anyway Remus are here now, I know that you don't play Quidditch but it would be nice if you could come down and look."

_I don't play Quidditch!_ he nearly blurted out but stopped in the last second. _Best to play along´ _he thought and nodded. Lily, because he couldn't get himself to call her mum, gave him one last look before leaving the room. As soon the door closed Harry started to search for his wand.

**At the Bu****rrow**

When Ron suddenly return to consciousness he found himself standing at the bottom of the stairs in what he immediately recognized as the Burrow. Surprised he looked around the familiar setting he hadn't seen in years.

Still standing dazedly he didn't noticed two persons silently sneak up on him. In the last second his werewolf senses warned him and he twisted around narrowly escaping the first attack.

When the second redhead pounced him he was ready and gripped his arm and twisted it. He was, however, not ready for the weight and the fact that his body didn't had enough strength. In the next moment they all lay in a tangled mass on the floor. Ron quickly got up and cursed when he didn't found his wand.

"Ouch watch it there ickle Ronniekins..." said Fred and helped is brother up from the floor.

"...If mum hear you use those sophisticated words from your mouth..." continued George.

"...She will force feed you with soap..."

"...Till you only can speak about roses and daisies"

Ron just stared at them, eyes wide in horror.

"_Ron have you seen Ginny?!" shouted Fred at him while ducking a green curse sailing over his head. Ron cast a blasting curse and allowed himself a short glance on the scene around him. He couldn't see his sister anywhere but t__hat didn't mean anything; it was impossibly to distinguish friend from enemies and injured from dead in the chaos that were the battlefield._

_He paid for his moment of inattentiveness though when a black curse hit him in the abdomen. Reflexes kicked in and he rolled away and got up a shield to stop the barrel of curses fired at him. Just as his strength ebbed away Fred jumped in front of him. He deflected the curses but a powerful dark curse shattered his shield. Before he could jump out of the way an exploding curse ripped his wand arm away. Fred fell down and landed almost protectively over his younger brother._

"_Well looks like the Order loses yet an__other of it members today." The death eater sneered as he strolled towards the panting brothers. Ron tried desperate to make a shield but he couldn't even manage to raise his wand. _

"_Avada Kedavra" the green light hit Fred in his head and the red head went limp over Ron._

"Hello are you still in there" asked George and snapped his fingers in front of Ron's face. Ron jumped and stared at George.

_George lie__s on the makeshift bed in a corner of the room. His amputated legs wrapped in bloody bandages, making him look like a poorly crafted doll. Ron hadn't been able to look at them, he had hidden them under a blanket. But you could still see were they ended. George didn't seemed to notice though; he didn't notice anything nowadays. _

Ron forced the memories out of his head and managed a shaky smile to his brothers before he turned around to escape to his room.

"Oi Nice reflexes by the way..."

"...You almost caught us of guard..."

"...Shame that you are such a gangly and..."

"...Scrawny kid. But of course not everybody can have such athletic..."

"...And devilishly handsome looks as..."

"...Your truly..." with that the twins left, leaving Ron alone with his feelings. First when he went up the stairs he managed to recall what the twins had been talking about. He looked down at his body and found that he was back in what seemed to be, his fourteen year old body. He groaned out loud. _Its gonna take an eternity to get back in shape! _

**At Mile Road 49 **

"Hermione, Hermione!!" someone waved a hand in front of her face when Hermione suddenly jolted to awareness.

"Wha...whoa!" she yelled when her gaze focused at the person in front of her. She jumped up and tripped over the chair she had been sitting in. With a loud crash she fell at the floor. _I'm acting like Tonks, _she thought to herself as he groaning stumbled up. _And where is all my grace and agility? I admit I was never as fit as the boys but this is ridiculous,_ she continued her mental rant when an offered hand interrupted her. She accepted it gratefully and was brought to her feet.

"Are you okay? You spaced out there for a minute," her mother looked at her concerned, as Hermione went to pick up the chair at the same time searching for her wand.

"I'm fine I was just thinking, have you seen my wand?"

"It should be in your trunk, why do you ask?"

"Oh you can never be too careful," she answered as she went towards the stairs. Not having her wand with her made her feeling uneasy and vulnerable. She had never left it for the last five years and she wasn't about to start now.

"But I thought you said that you couldn't use your wand in the summer?"

"Well yes but I rather have it with me so I don't lose it."

"If you don't wanna lose it I suggest you leave it in your trunk," her mother said in a bemused voice.

Hermione entered her room and couldn't help but smile at the little girl's room. A mountain of pillows and teddy bears adorned the bed and the pink sofa under the window. She crossed the soft carpet and lifted a brown teddy bear. She hugged it hard and explored her room. It was her room but it hadn't look like this in many years, and it hadn't been much left of it after the fire. Fiendfire didn't left anything unharmed in its wake.

She couldn't find anything that showed that it was a witch who lived here and she thought for a second that it all had been a dream. Her mother's reaction and the fact that she found her trunk in the farthest corner of the closet chased her worries away.

She managed to open the trunk and found her wand. When her wand was safely tucked in her pocket, _Sorry Mad Eye,_ she went to the desk drawing.

"Jackpot!" she muttered when she found a bunch of letters. She read trough the newest one and discovered that they wasn't from Harry or Ron as she had thought.

Dear Hermione

Hermione, Hermione you are the brightest child I know, don't worry you will pass your exams with flying colour I m sure. I am very sad to hear that you still don't have any friends. Its not your fault honey, they just don't see what a wonderful girl you are. Are you sure that their isn't anyone with the same interest as you.

I confess that what you wrote about house rivalry is a bit depressing. But I stand with what I said in my last letter; you have to fight for it too. You must be willing to change and meet them halfway, even if they are "flimsy bimbos". I don't approve of your language but I am sure you are right. But try to fit in please. Give it one more chance and if it doesn't work I am sure we can still give you a place at Waltham Academy.

Love granny

Hermione lowered the letter with a frown on her face. _Well this certainly put everything in a new perspective; I'm obviously not friend with Harry and Ron here. Hope they still remember me,_ She threw some history books in a bag and bolted out from her room.

Time to find some boys.

**At the ****Department of mysteries **

Unspeakable Davies sighed as he leaned his chair backwards and took another sip of the tasteless coffee. His office was painted in a grey blue colour and reflected astutely the rest of the department – depressing and boring. Nothing exciting ever happened in the Department of Mysteries. And to think that people always imagined the unspeakable job to be adventurous and important.

But that common misconception was perhaps not so strange after all, indeed those few times their work forced them out in the public they did their best to appear as mysterious as possible. It was always quite humorous to watch as everyone from shop owners and politicians grew tense and quiet when they showed up in their anonymous grey robes. In fact that was by far the only appealing thing about this job, so much in fact they had made a list to keep track of whose turn it was to go on Research Excursion (RE) outside the department.

Of course Davies wouldn't be leaving on an RE anytime soon, he had lost his spot to unspeakable Limsley last week. So he was stuck on guard duty. David glanced around the room, of all the boring jobs in the department this was the worse, guarding three hundred and thirty seven surveillance orbs.

The orbs, which recorded unusual magic flares in Britain, stood lined along the walls in the large room. They all glowed in different colours and it would have been an impressive sigh for any visitor, if they had any that is.

But even the cool light effects lost their intrigue when you had been staring at them for five hours straight. Sometimes they would detect a flare and glow brightly and he would rush up – only to discover that it was a false alarm, either the Knight bus had been driving to close to one of the orbs or someone had simply apparated on top of one of them. Sensitive little buggers.

He almost wished that there would appear a magic storm in the middle of London or a dark ritual on a field in Norfolk. If only to give him the opportunity to barge into his superior's office shouting his lungs of about a crisis.

The second he thought that three of the orbs flared to light, so brightly that he had to cover his eyes, dropping his coffee in his lap at the sudden movement.

"What the…!" he said and stared dumbly at the red, blue and yellow light that lit up the entire room, now accompanied by a blaring alarm. Stumbling towards the shelf with the orbs he started look through the paperwork. Finding the right scripts he found out what the ruckus was all about – three huge, unexplainable surges of magic had occurred in Essex, Devon and London.

Davies felt excitement build up in his chest as he bolted for the door screaming at the tops of his lungs.

"Mr Tipple we have a situation!!"

Back in the dull, grey blue room the alarm continued to sound.


	3. Finding each other

"Where in the fucking hell is it!" Harry swore at what must be his counterpart as he turned the room up side down in search for his wand. Eventually he found it; deep down in his trunk.

"Stupid idiot, what if someone attacks," he cursed and was just about to find a way to attach it to his arm when he stopped and examined the wand more closely. This was not his wand he realised. The wood was a greyer tone and it was shorter than his holly wand. He concentrated on the feeling and frowned. It felt right…and yet something was amiss, like it didn't really fit.

He sighed and stored it away for the moment. He really didn't need a wand to do magic anyway. He could do anything wandlessly even if it took more concentration and focus. For some reason though he preferred to use a wand, Hermione had theorized that it was because he always strived to be as normal as possible. Which, in Harry's opinion, was a silly theory because Ron and Hermione could also do wandless magic, granted they were not as good as him but still better than the average witch and wizard.

After successfully attaching the wand to his arm with two strings he cautiously left the room. He entered a corridor full with doors and went for the staircase. He tried to ignore the moving pictures on the wall, but had to stop several times.

One picture showed two black haired twins, sitting on a small couch. The boy, who seemed to be around three year old were holding a wriggling teddy bear, and beside him sat a girl in the same age. The boy, himself he guessed, kept staring into the camera with wide eyes, the girl however kept poking at the boy, sometimes stopping to wave at the camera with a big smile. _My sister? _he wondered.

Next picture showed a Christmas tree almost buried in presents. The children seemed older in this picture. The girl, together with a boy he didn't recognized took great delight in throwing gift wrapper on a screaming man on the floor. Harry's heart constricted painfully when he recognized the man as Sirius.

The pictures continued along the wall, viewing the first school day, birthdays, flying on the first broom, first step, a messy haired boy hoisted in the air by a laughing father – an entire childhood were playing out in front of his eyes. He felt bitterness swell inside him at the vision of what could have been but still he couldn't tear his eyes away.

How much hadn't he dreamt about a childhood like this, dreamt and dreamt during all those lonely hours in his cupboard. Even though he never knew how it felt to be hugged by a mother or having a loving family around him while blowing out the candles on birthday cake, he had wished for it all the same.

He stopped at the last picture and felt emptiness fill him. He had seen this picture before – Remus had shown it to him while lying on his deathbed, slowly succumbing to the silver poisoning. It was a picture of the four Marauders, taken a few days before they graduated from Hogwarts.

He watched their faces as they laughed and smiled towards the camera. They were all so happy and carefree, never suspecting where they would be twenty years into the future. One murdered, one framed, one traitor and one slowly succumbing to loneliness.

He sighed heavy and turned around, and came face to face with a fourteen year old girl. She was quite pretty with her shoulder long black hair, brown eyes and a small nose. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"I am watching the pictures."

She rolled her eyes.

"Moron I can see that, but why."

"Because they are interesting...you are in several of them."

"Duh I'm your sister, off course I am on the pictures. I look better than you do though."

"You are my sister!" he couldn't stop himself from blurting out.

"I know that you are dense but even you should be able to remember, anyway mum got me to get you. We need someone to keep count on the points in the game. Dad thought you might have been lost on you way from the bathroom."

"Does the floo work here?" he asked as he followed her down the stairs.

"Of course, you should know it, you travelled with it yesterday."

"Oh I was not sure, Sirius told me that it had been blocked," he lied easily, used to it from the war.

"Only you could fall for that one again, he made that joke last year."

"Do you know what the address here is?"

"Godrics Hollow... and you are acting stranger than usual," she said suspicious.

"Oh it just Sirius said that the address had been changed to Tooth fairy's cabin, I wanted to make sure," he effortlessly lied as his gaze roamed the mantel place for some floo powder.

"Riiight you are not acting suspicious now, anyway you better get down to the pitch now," she said and ran out through the door.

When he was sure that no one was within hearing range he dropped the floo powder and said in a clear voice "Diagon Alley!"

Countless of chimneys spun around his head before one came in clear view and the fireplace spit him out. A bit disorientated he stumbled, but cheered mentally when he managed to keep his balance. He was not yet used to his new body.

He searched the pub for familiar faces or dangers before exited throw the door. He relaxed a bit when he entered the muggle world, knowing that there wasn't any who could recognize him or attack him. True, a muggle gun could hurt him just as much as a wand but it was not very likely that a random muggle would attack him.

To his relief, everything looked the same from when he and the others had been fighting a guerrilla war in the city. True it was a bit difficult to navigate without the burned down houses or barricaded underground exits.

After a few turns, and amazed looks at the undamaged shops, he reached Hyde Park. The last time he had been here it had been in the control of the British army, which had stationed a dozen of their helicopters there. It was a bit different now.

Hundreds of people were visiting the park, enjoying the warm summer weather. Some were jogging, buying ice cream or sun bathed on the large grassland.

"Harry!" he suddenly heard Ron's voice behind him he turned around to see a gangly redhead running towards him. He edged his hand towards his wand.

"Where is the entrance to the Chamber of secrets?" he asked suspicious.

"In moaning Myrtles bathroom. What is my animagus form?" asked Ron as they followed the normal routines.

"You don't have one."

"True," said Ron and gave Harry a hug. "So you reckon we'll ever find Mione?" He said while gazing around in the crowded park.

A shout had them turn their heads around and they spotted Hermione's head from behind a shrubbery. The two boys grinned at each other and dashed around the bushes. Like lost puppies they grabbed Hermione in a strong embrace.

For a moment they remained unmoving, relishing in the feeling of the others warm bodies. Harry could feel Ron's arm around his waist and Hermione's chin against his neck. He finally felt complete. It was here he belonged. They were one, sharing an unbreakable bond of love. He didn't need anything else in the world as long as he had Ron and Hermione.

When they finally broke a part it was with a sense of loss – he hadn't realised how alone he had been these few hours. Hermione were the first to speak, as she stepped back and studied their bodies.

"Well do you look scrawny or not?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"That's what the twins said," whined Ron "...after I slammed them to the floor that is."

"So you also meet your family?" asked Hermione in a grim voice as she settled on the ground. The cheerful mood dampened immediately as the boys nodded and sat down beside her, one on each side.

"I met the twins... it was so strange," said Ron in a strangled voice. "I couldn't believe that it was them, I didn't want to believe it was them. I mean I saw them die... Its not that I wish it, but my Fred and George are dead!" he finished in a choked sob. Hermione slung her arm around him and gave him a quick squeeze.

"It's them but at the same time not," said Harry in a quiet voice.

"Did you meet..." Harry nodded.

"My mother, it can't have been anyone but her. She looked the same as on the pictures."

"Must have felt strange to see her for the first time," said Ron in a soft voice, momentarily forgetting his own sorrow.

"Yeah it felt strange, see her talking and smiling at me...but at the same time... she isn't my mum. I mean is obvious that she are Lily Potter but..."

"Your mum is dead and this one is not her," finished Ron. Harry nodded again and by some unspoken command they both turned to Hermione. If there was anyone who could have an idea of what was going on it was she.

"I don't know what this means," she confessed as she pulled one of the books from her bag.

"That's a first," commented Ron and got smacked with the book.

"I don't know what this means yet... you remember when I told you about all the different worlds in the universe?"

"You believed that we could travel to another world and that world might not even have humans in it and something like that."

"Well there is one other plane of existence, some calls it the fourth dimension," seeing their confused expression she elaborated. "It's is called space-time and is the plane of time. It is believed that sometimes history takes two directions, and thus creating two realities. The fourth dimension is like a gateway between parallel universes."

"Do you mean that we are in an other reality than our own."

"Well obviously, because it's not the world we came from, but it is similar."

"Did you know that this could happen?" asked Ron there was nothing accusing in his voice, just curiosity.

"Not really, the book mentioned the possibility of alternate universe, they even researched it in the department of mysteries, but no one is not even close of finding a way to travel between universes."

"So it was just dumb luck that we managed," said Ron.

"More like unluck, I suspect that dear old fate still don't wanna let me go!" groaned Harry.

"Don't insult her mate," advised Ron.

"Well speaking of fate, you don't have the scar Harry." By reflex Harry touched his forehead and traced the familiar spot. His fingers felt nothing but smooth unblemished skin. He rubbed it absentmindedly – it felt strange not having it there. When he was small it had been the only thing about him that he liked – that was before he entered the wizarding world and understood the significance of the scar.

"So Harry isn't the boy-who-lived," said Ron which received sarcastic cheer from Harry. "But that means that some one else is... or did Voldemort even exist in this world." Again their attention focused on Hermione who raised an eyebrow.

"I'm just as new in this universe as you, what makes you think that I know anything about the local Dark Lord?" Ron merely pointed at the history book in her lap. "Oh," she said and blushed.

"You are so cute when you blushing," said Harry and gave her a light kiss.

"I'm 20 years old, I'm not cute – I'm beautiful."

"But you look like a fourteen year old with a blush; you do look cute."

She scowled playfully at him and opened her book.

"I read it on the way here, and yes Voldemort was here, or you-know-who, existed. Those morons are still afraid of using his name. Same story, purebloods are superior and muggleborns should be exterminated."

"And the same methods to," said Ron who stared at chapter five which was named The Manchester massacre.

"Any differences? He seems gone now. What about the prophecy, neither I nor my sister have the scar."

"You have a sister!" exclaimed Ron. "Congratulations!" Harry made a face and listened to Hermione.

"Well, the attack on October 31 did happened, so I guess the Prophecy exist here. The difference is that he attacked Neville instead."

"And the dark lord will mark him as an equal," mused Harry. "I guess that means that he was arrogant enough to believe that Neville, a pureblood, was equal to him, a halfblood."

"It goes against his ideology, don't you think," said Ron, Hermione made a disgusted sound.

"I always knew he was a hypocrite," she said.

"Anyway, he had his death eaters attack the Potters as a diversion, while he went for the Longbottoms. The alarm from the Potters reached the Order first, as per Voldemort's plan, everybody including Frank Longbottom went to aid the Potters. Alice and Neville was the only one there when Voldemort came. He killed Alice but somehow he couldn't kill Neville and Voldemort was defeated."

"Sacrifice magic eh?" said Ron.

They lapsed into silence for a while, each in their own thoughts. Harry couldn't help but feel relieved that it wasn't he who had the scar. He felt sorry for Neville though but was glad that he still had one parent alive, also that his own family hadn't meet the same fate as the Longbottoms had in their old world.

"So what are we going to do now?" asked Hermione after awhile.

"Keep our identities secret obviously, and try too find out so much about this world as we can," mused Ron, his strategic mind already drawing up plans.

"I think we should try to keep a low profile, after all we have no idea how our counterparts acts," said Harry.

"I have an idea how mine was, we," Hermione indicated at the three of them " are not friends, in fact it seems that this Hermione is alone and bullied at school and had it been any other school she would have dropped out long ago."

"No one came to save you from the troll eh?"

"Oh Merlin I have no idea how I survived that one!"

"Relax Mione, perhaps the troll incident never happened."

"That reminds me, we have to figure out if the philosopher's stone and the Chamber of Secrets happened," said Harry.

"I can scare Ginny with a fake snake and se how she reacts," joked Ron but Harry could tell that he was half-serious.

"Ron! She's your sister!" shrieked Hermione.

"No she isn't and I won't see her as one, she is a relative, not my sister, right Harry?"

"I think the same, they are relatives nothing more. You are my family now."

"Do you think that you still are a parselmouth?" asked Ron, Harry shrugged.

"I don't know. Are you still a werewolf?"

"Argh do you realise how difficult this is going to be, there are millions of things we don't know and we'll have to avoid exposure," screamed Hermione and slammed the book shut.

"Let's focus on remain undiscovered, finding what powers we still have..." started Ron.

"Difficult with the age restriction... wait are we still underage, I mean I'm twenty years old!" interrupted Hermione.

"..Finding what powers we have, and learn about our families and the political climate."

"One more thing, we need to get back in shape," said Harry as he stood up. "These bodies are weak."

"But you do look a bit more healthy than you did when you were fourteen," said Hermione.

"Yes you are taller, shorter than me but still taller."

"Great! Away from Dursleys starvation and I'm still short."

"See it from the light side you are fast and agile, much more so than this wandering pile of muscles," said Hermione indicating at Ron.

"Not so much muscle now, what do you say; running and push-ups until we reach Hogwarts?"

"Fine with me," said Harry and turned to Hermione with a stern glare.

"Oh no no no, I am a scholar, I read, I'm doing the research thingy!"

"You won't escape this one Mione," said Harry teasingly.

Hermione fell down on the grass with a defeated groan.

"I hate exercising!" she stated miserably.

Harry chuckled and positioned himself beside her and gave her a light kiss.

"That you do but you look like a goddess when you are fit...And besides you do want to beat Malfoy like you did in third year?"

"I doubt the me in this world did anything like that."

"True but next time he calls you anything I will restrain Ron so you'll get the honour to teach the ferret how to treat a lady."

"Not a lady, a goddess," said Ron as he leaned down on the other side and gave Hermione a kiss and looked in her eyes. "Our goddess of wisdom."

"...Empathy," continued Harry.

"...Inspiration."

"...Level headiness."

"Okay knock it off you two, you're starting to sound like the twins!" The boys wore identical grins as they hoisted themselves up and helped Hermione up.

"Let's meet at my house in one week," Hermione looked at them for confirmation, they nodded.

"And then we should have more information, and a plan."

"Well lets operation IF, Infiltrate Family, commence," said Ron in a cheerful voice and clapped his hands. Hermione shook her head at her boyfriend's antics and winked at them as she went towards the underground.

The two boys went back the same way the come from and had soon reached the leaky cauldron. They greeted Tom and gave him five knuts for floo powder.

"See you in a week then," said Ron as he leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Inconspicuous were the words," Harry answered and gave him a hug before shoving him to the fireplace.

"The burrow," said Ron and disappeared in a flare of green flames.

Harry watched him disappeared and wished he could follow him. With a sigh he entered the fireplace.

"Godrics Hollow," he said and disappeared in green flames.

"Are you sure that it's not just an inaccuracy like last time?" asked Mr Tipple as he studied the now silenced orbs on the shelf.

"Yeah we wouldn't want a repeat of January -87," said Coagen Croaker, another unspeakable.

Davies chuckled nervously as he recalled the last alarm they had acted on. They had sealed off the entire train station on Piccadilly Circus, only to discover that the huge flux of foreign energy in fact came from the new mobile phones the muggles had invented.

"I would think that it was just a stop by the Knight bus or something if it wasn't for the fact that it happened in three different locations at the same time," said Davies.

"Which were the locations?"

"Godrics Hollow, Ottery st catchpole and London."

"The two first has wizarding residence, you think that means something?"

"Underage magic?" suggested a woman by the name of Clarissa Aldwick. She was in her thirties and had been researching different kinds of magic for the last decade. She knew all about the different signatures magic let off.

"No, unless we got three Merlins on our hands, the magic was too powerful, besides…it still leaves a trail."

That got a reaction as everyone stared at Davies.

"What do you mean it still leaves a trail?"

"Well I had to disconnect the orbs because they still picked up the residual magic…"

"Or that whatever instigated the magic is still there," a young man with copper brown hair said his forehead wrinkled in thought. He was the newest addition to the department, only six years out of Hogwarts. An intelligent Rawenclaw with a penchant for details and reaching the right deduction, which had of course driven all the senior workers in the department to near madness, especially his supervisor – Rookwood.

"There is more to it, ever since the first alarm several orbs have been picking up this foreign energy."

Again this set of a discussion as everybody argued if this was because that it involved more than three entities or that the entities were simply moving around. Bode and Rookwood were loudly arguing whether it was a hostile presence or not. Davies struggled to answer all the questions that flew in the air.

"In which places has the magic appeared in?"

"Diagon alley is the only magical sight as far as I can tell."

"And it hadn't appeared there first? Then it must have moved there later, it proves that it is sentient beings we are talking about," said Aldwick.

"It could also be a magical energy that simply is drawn to sites with strong magic," snapped the man with coppery brown hair.

"But we can still track it?" asked Mr Tipple.

"Yes, it has never stopped leaving a trail, I haven't been able to analyse the energy, that is more miss Aldwick's field, the only thing the orbs has been able to pick up is the power levels and the fact that the magic is foreign, and I have to admit that we don't know what it means that something is foreign magic as it have never happened before"

"But we can track it?" asked Mr Tipple impatiently.

"Yes, we got the equipment," said Davies excitedly at the thought of being able to use all of the complicated devices and trinkets that no one except him had bothered to learn how to operate.

"Good," said Mr Tipple as he leaned back in his seat. "I want Aldwick, Davies, Croaker…and Derwent" the young man with copper brown hair jerked in his chair and turned wide eye at his boss. At the end of the table Rookwood gritted his teeth at the fact that the newbie had gotten the position instead of him. "…on this case. Find this foreign energy, I don't think it is hostile," he said with a glance at Rookwood. "But I would like it investigated, I'll speak to Crouch about the necessary funding"

He stood up and left, as did all the others, leaving the four who had just been assigned the mission.

They had been sitting in silence for a few minutes when Davies suddenly spoke up.

"We never thought about the possibility that they were aliens."

"What are aliens?" asked Aldwick curious; the other two didn't even worthy it a response.

"Jeez purebloods! Aliens, organisms from other worlds."

"Don't be ridiculous, there are no such things as aliens, if there were we would have discovered them ages ago," said Derwent.

"Did you know that there is muggles convinced that there is no such thing as magic?"

"Of course I know, that's the whole point with the statute of secrecy," answered Derwent before realising he had been tricked. "Shouldn't we get going," he continued and stared pointedly at Davies.

"Oh right, the detection devices," yelled Davies and run out of the room.

"Shouldn't you prepare too?" asked Aldwick the two remaining men as she started gathering her files and papers.

"I don't need to drag around equipment worthy of a two months vacation or half a library I…shit I forgot..." started Derwick before he darted out of the room. Leaving only herself and Croaker, who calmly sipped on his coffee.

"And how about you sir?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I am the supervisor, meaning that I will watch while you're working," he stated calmly. "We are leaving in fifteen minutes," he said and watched as she sprinted out of the room.


	4. Family life

Just a short description of the war they had fought in their own dimension. The events follow canon until the end of the deadly hallows (with the exception that they learn a little more spells and curses). They lost the battle of Hogwarts and the war continued for three years. Harry, Ron and Hermione gathered the DA and when the Order was defeated six months later, were they the only resistance left.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

Harry stepped out from the fireplace and immediately took in the room, automatically moving so his back faced the wall. Years of war had taught him never to expose his back to windows or doors. With no one in the room he relaxed somewhat and started to look around more closely.

He was in a nicely decorated living room. Paintings, muggle and magical shared the walls with family pictures, in the middle of the room stood two lime green sofas. A dozen shoes were thrown at the floor in front of the door, which seemed to lead out to the garden.

He couldn't help but think how normal it all looked. They had never been touched by war or death. _This is my life how it could have been, should have been. _He didn't feel sad though, he had had his life and he had accepted it. This was not his life and he was not going to pretend it was – that would be deceiving himself.

Although when he sensed someone enter the room he turned around and smiled, determined to pass a long as the son in this family. It was his, apparently, sister who gave him an annoyed frown.

"Where did you go? We needed someone to count the points."

"Sorry I forgot."

"You forgot, you mean you sneaked away with the floo, even though mum said you weren't allowed. Hmm what should I do with this information?..." she trailed of and looked at Harry mischievously, the unveiled threat clearly visibly.

Harry gazed back unfazed, he had been threatened by Lord Voldemort, the darkest lord in centuries, threats by a fourteen-year-old girl was nothing.

"Do what you want; you're not able to prove anything."

She stared shocked at him clearly not anticipating him retorting, it made him wonder what kind of person he was in this dimension.

"Why else would you ask me about the address?"

"So I didn't make a fool out of myself later."

She shrugged dismissively and turned around to leave.

"You are always looking like a fool, don't see why you bother. By the way mum wants you to come out, because if you apparently have not been floo travelling, you have been moping about in your room the entire afternoon."

Harry decided it was safest to remain silent, and followed her because he wasn't sure he would find the way by himself. They entered the garden and he saw his...family, sitting in some garden chairs.

"I found him, he had forgotten," his sister drawled the last part.

"Again!" said Lily in an exasperated voice.

"Perhaps we should buy you a Remembrall to your birthday," suggested James with a grin.

"That way you get something else than sweaters and puzzles," Harry stared at him disbelievingly and couldn't help but blurting out.

"Can't I get a broom?"

"Why would you want a broom, you have refused to fly one since the accident in your first year," asked James puzzled.

"What! Um I mean I would like to give it a try again. You shouldn't let your fears hinder you, because they are nothing but fears."

"Why Harry, that was very insightful for you," a voice said from a chair. Harry hadn't given much thought on who it was before, but the voice gave him a start. Numbly he turned around. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of his honorary godfather.

Remus recoiled slightly at the look of horror Harry gave him but gave him an forced smile, as though he was use to seeing Harry look at him like he was about to rip his throat open.

Harry struggled to regain control over his emotions, he had known that people he had known and seen die would be alive here. Somehow seeing his dead parents and the sister he never had, hadn't been difficult, in a way they were just strangers. But seeing Remus, his Remus, almost released all the grief inside of him.

_It is not your Remus__,_ he chided himself. His Remus was the last Marauder, he was the only adult Harry could turn to during those fateful month after Dumbledore's death. He was the one who had fought against Wormtail, a fight that in the end had claimed both their lives.

But still he looked so like his Remus. He even had the worn expression and tired smile whenever he looked at Harry. He filed that away for later as he finally managed to regain his ability to speak.

"Oh thank you," he whispered. Okay almost regained his voice.

Remus slumped in his chair and sighed in defeat.

"I should go, it's late," he said and started to get up.

"Moony," said James in a comforting voice and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Its okay, I can't force him to like me," Remus said with a sad smile.

He gave Lily a hug and his sister a small kiss on her head. Harry frowned when Remus made no attempt to approach him. Instead he offered a small smile before he disappeared through the doors.

Harry who was busy trying to figure out Remus strange behaviour didn't notice James livid face. He stalked forward and grabbed Harry's arm.

"Kitchen now!" he growled. Harry, startled out of his reverie, flinched and reflexively raised his arms to defend himself. In the commotion no one notice though.

"James it's not his fault," screamed Lily and ran after them.

"I don't care, he have hurt Remus one time too many, its time I put a stop to this stupid behaviour."

He dragged him to the kitchen and threw him in a chair.

"I am sick and tired of your childish behaviour. Remus would never admit it but you hurt him every time you look at him like that! And I won't allow my son to treat one of my best friend like this," James ranted in a furious voice.

"What is it I have done?" asked Harry irritated even as he tried to fend of his own suspicions.

"I am talking about all the time you look at him as though he is about to attack you. Or those times you shied away when he tried to touch you. He is your godfather and you treat him like dirt," shouted James oblivious to Harry's shocked face.

"I am afraid of him?" whispered Harry, still unwilling to believe it at the same time fighting the urge to run after Remus.

James stopped his rant and sighted when he saw Harry's upset face and misread his expression.

"I know that you are afraid of him, and it is nothing wrong to fear something, but you have to understand that Remus is no one you have to fear. He would rather die than hurt you, and that's not only because he is your godfather."

"I know," whispered Harry and shamefully lowered his head. Either it was shame for his counterpart or his actions today he didn't know.

James raked his hand throw his unruly hair and sighed.

"I know that this is difficult for you but can you please try?" Harry nodded and James gave him a tired nod.

It was first when Harry reached his room when James's words registered in his head.

_Remus is my godfather?_he thought with a happy grin. Somehow the thought filled him with a warm feeling, like he had regained a long lost friend.

Not that he didn't like Sirius, no the man had been like a father to him; the first person to call family, and he still loved him. But their time together had been so short before he had fallen through the veil.

It was Remus who had supported him through the war. He was just his honorary godfather but somehow he had been Harry's true godfather.

"I must apologise to Remus," he murmured to himself. That reminded him how he had gotten into this mess and his first ever argument with his father; his counterpart was terrified of Remus.

Harry sighed, knowing fully well how sensitive Remus was about his lycanthropy. He had barely accepted the wolf within him – he didn't need others to condemn him. It was enough he did it to himself already.

_My counterpart is a fool, a week pathetic cowardly fool. I bet he got along well with Wormtail._ He thought tetchily to himself. _And were the hell is Wormtail, is he a traitor in this dimension,_ he raked his hand through his unruly hair, vaguely recalling James do the exact movement during his scolding. It was so much they didn't know in this place.

He suddenly wished that Ron and Hermione were here with him. Hermione, always frank and honest, always possessed by an unwavering determination. And Ron, the ever cheerful one, he had never lost his humour, even though it had become a tad more morbid and sarcastic at the end of the war. Snape and Malfoy wouldn't stand a chance.

He sighed and stared out threw the window, trying to figure what they were doing know. When they were together nothing seemed impossible. They were a team and worked as such. When separated every task was a mountain to climb and the smallest success seemed impossible.

Ron was probably trying to avoid exposure in his family, a difficult task considering that his brothers were Fred and George, pranksters extraordinaire and Ginny. Harry sighed again, poor Ron, he had taken the death of his family hard. To see them alive and walking, his own family but still strangers.

He remembered how he himself had reacted to see Remus alive – Ron must have it ten times worse. But still Ron had one advantage over Harry. Ron knew those people, he knew how to act to avoid suspicions.

Harry didn't have that luxury – hell he hardly knew how to act in a normal family in the first place, courtesy of the Dursleys.

Hermione were also in the situation of having her dead family returned to her, but knowing her she would focus on the more serious matters. Like find information. And as if he could see Hermione frowning at his inactivity he started to search for a library.

Potters residence in Godrics Hollow didn't have a library, but it did have an office. An office with the walls filled with bookcases.

Although Harry's excitement over the books soon turned to frustration as he recalled why it was Hermione who did all their research. Those books told absolutely nothing.

He resisted the urge to throw the book out the window and slumped in a chair. He had found the basics about Voldemort's rise to powers and his little war and demise at the hands of Neville Longbottom – The boy-who-lived. Basically the story Hermione already had told them.

There was no information on the Order or Wormtail. Who had been secret keeper? Did the prophecy exist? Were Snape a spy? So many questions and no way to find the answers. It was so frustrating to not knowing anything.

_It__'s just like fifth year all again, and just like then I have no way of finding information!_ He didn't think they would appreciate his sudden interest in the Purity war, nor his strange knowledge of classified information.

He let his eyes roam over the desk and his eyes landed on a Daily Prophet. For a moment he just stared at it, thinking how much he loathed the newspaper. After a while he reached for it, feeling as if he made a huge sacrifice only by touching the vile thing.

His eyes caught the headline and he absentmindedly bit his lip as he tried to remember if this had happened in his own timeline. When he couldn't remember it he settled for reading the article.

_Werewolf attack in Northampton – five __muggles dead and two missing! _

_Yesterday__ morning a muggle postman (the muggles means of delivering letters) made a gruesome discovery whilst delivering letters at Nilstone road. Upon noticing that one of the houses sported a broken and open door he decided to investigate further. He entered the house while calling out for the young family he knew lived there. _

_Inside he found the bloodied corpses of Mr and Mrs Treample, both viciously cut and stabbed to death. Upon discovering what the muggle assumed was a brutal robbery the man ran over to the neighbours to get help – only to run into the same scene. The elderly pair who lived there had been attacked by what looked like vicious animals and had both bled to death. _

_Muggle police was called to the place but by then aurors had already arrived – having been alerted of werewolf activity in the area. Auror Jenkins was one of the first to witness the horribly scene. _

"_It was awful, I have nightmares of it…all the blood…we found the pair in the kitchen…or at least most parts of them…there was obvious signs of fighting...there was so much blood," says auror Jenkins in a shaking voice as we ask him what he found. _

_Of the three children were only one found – ten year old Jaden was found beheaded in the garden. His body was badly injured and it appeared that someone had eaten parts of it. The two other children, Marie and Isaac, both five years old were nowhere to be found; leading aurors to suspect that it is Greyback who is behind the heinous deed. _

"_It is typical Greyback, he goes in killing the parents and older children and turning the younger ones to raise them in his pack," said auror captain Rudiger Rowle referring to similar cases when Greyback has been involved. _

"_We know that Greyback and his pack are guilty of at least fifty different attacks, possible more, but we haven't been able to catch him yet due to him always changing locations," continues Rowle. _

_Werewolf attacks have been steadily increasing in the latest years which are what spurred the ministry's stricter policy on Dark creatures. _

_Minister Crouch is the leading force behind the Werewolf Registration Act which was passed two months ago and the new Act of Specie Oriented Lawsuit._

_According to minister Crouch the werewolf problem have been unresolved for too long leading to suffering for the wizarding public. _

"_We have been lax in our control over Dark creature__s and now we are paying for it," says Minister Crouch when asked to comment on the recent werewolf attack. "We have been allowing them freedom to roam our country and breed freely. Right now we have a large werewolf population, a population who have no qualms about killing innocent people. There is no motive in their actions, they could attack anyone anywhere. They don't care about if you are magical or not, no one is safe."_

_Minister Crouch is optimistic to the new werewolf bill, meaning that it is the only way to ensure the public's safety. _

"_Our voters have the right to go to sleep at night without fearing an attack of a vicious monster, this act will enable us strike swift and hard against creatures like Greyback," finishes Minister Crouch before leaving. _

_More information on the attack in Northampton – see p 12_

_More information on Greyback – see p 15-21_

_More information on the new Act of Specie Oriented Lawsuit – see p 25-28 _

_By Sebastien Spavin_

Harry quickly went on to read about the new act – which unavoidably had him swearing loudly within moments.

"What a fucking load of bullshit!" he grumbled angrily, feeling the urge to relieve his anger on something – preferably on the incompetent minister.

"Harry!" came the appalled voice of Lily who had apparently walked past outside the door at that moment. _Or she had been standing spying outside,_ supplied Harry's mind before he dismissed the thought. "I will not have such language in my house," she said sternly as she gazed into the room.

"Be happy that I'm only swearing," retorted Harry, feeling not in the least intimidated by her intrusive glare. He was prepared to dismiss her before he caught sight of the article again and the urge to comment on it became to strong. _I need to rant about this._ "It is just that this article…" he frustrated shook the Daily Prophet in his hand. "This article…argh it's just insane. How can they be so fucking stupid!" finished Harry, unable to find any word to appropriately describe the article.

Lily on the other hand stood completely still, looking bewildered at her son who waved a Daily Prophet around, cursing like she had never even seen Sirius do. To tell the truth it made her a bit uneasy. Harry had always been a timid and soft spoken child, to see him with such anger and contempt – for a fleeting moment she felt that she didn't knew her son.

"What article are you speaking about?"

"The Act of Specie Oriented Lawsuit!" hissed Harry, before seeing her expression and managed to rein in his temper. His face relaxed and he smiled bitterly, his eyes still glowing angrily in a promise of destruction should that smouldering anger ever be let free.

"Oh, but I think it is quite enough as it is, I know that many wizards wants to feel safe but you have to remember that there is many werewolves who is innocent. Think of Remus…" said Lily placating as though Harry was upset that the law wasn't enough.

"I am not for the Act, I'm against it! How can they think that this will solve the werewolf problem, it will only make it worse," said Harry in a tired voice before continuing. "Werewolves have been ostracised from society for so long, they are being refused jobs, marriage and are met with prejudice everyday, it's no wonder that there is contempt."

"What brought on this change? Last time we were discussing the werewolf act you liked it, saying that it was a good way of protecting people."

"I didn't see it from the werewolves' perspective... never mind. I'm going out for a bit, I'll be back for dinner," he got up from the chair and touched her gently at her shoulder. He wasn't comfortable giving her a hug or anything else remotely affective but he felt the need to reassure her.

Just when he was about to disappear down the stairs her voice called after him.

"This…you are acting so differently, why?" her forlorn voice sounded like she wanted to say more, maybe try to describe in a better way what had happened to her sweet little boy. Harry didn't need more words to know what she meant, he had after all stolen her son away and taken his place – like an impostor.

He felt his insides twist at this thought; he had thought Lily being the impostor who had taken the place of his mother when in reality it was he who had stolen their child away. He winced at the though of her ever knowing the truth. _And still they have the right to know, I can't just take his place, allowing them to live in a lie, only using them to keep up my façade, _he thought darkly before dispelling the thoughts to the deepest part of the mind, not having the strength to deal with them now.

"Nothing Mother, just being a teenager and all that lot, expect angsty temper and unexplainable actions from now on, but remember that I'll…always will be the same." It sounded incredibly false and hypocritical in his mind, but what he first had thought to tell her felt even more so. 'I love you' was to much a strong emotion to throw around lightly, especially when he at the moment couldn't claim any truth to it.

Dinner that evening was a tense affair, James was still sour about Harry's treatment of Remus, and Lily was annoyed at James because he had blown up on Harry. She also kept throwing glances at Harry who appeared perfectly at ease when inwardly he was twitching at the strained dinner conversation.

_I'm in unfamiliar territory_.

His sister, who he had learned was named Rose, seemed oblivious to the chilly atmosphere.

"He is a child James! You can't expect him to be calm and rational about things," said Lily in a forced calm voice. Harry picked in his food. At first had he been happy about how Lily had stood up to him, but it had quickly disappeared when he noticed how she treated him.

The only person to treat him like a toddler had been Umbridge in his fifth year. And here again was his supposed mother cuddling him and speaking to him, Harry Potter war hero and saviour of the wizarding world, in that patronising voice, like he was a four years old – too stupid to understand.

And what really bugged him was that he couldn't retort.

"Hello! I'm the same age as him and I'm not afraid of Remus."

"I know darling, but you have always been a very outgoing girl," said Lily fondly to her daughter.

"Remus is the last thing to fear, he would never hurt anyone," stated James. A memory suddenly flashed before Harry's eyes.

_Tonks screamed as the spell hit her in the chest and pinc__hed her against the store. Diagon alley was temporarily transformed into a war zone, buildings burning and screaming people trying to run for safety. Harry heard an enraged roar behind him and turned around to see Remus sprinting towards Tonks, wand forgotten in his hands. _

"_Leave her alone you bastards! Or I'll rip you to pieces!" _

"_Oh look seems like the werewolf is not so tame as Dumbledore seemed to think. Do you need a collar and a muzzle, beast__," a Death Eater jeered then proceeded to kick the barely consciously Tonks. _

_Remus growled and suddenly went rigid before he fell down on his knees. He gave off an anguished scream and started to change. His limbs became longer, he grew blank silvery fur and his face lengthened into a wolf's snout. _

_The werewolf Moony got up to his feet and his wild inhuman eyes swirled between Harry and the Death Eaters before he settled on the Death eaters. He barred his teeth and gave a bone-chilling howl as he charged towards them. _

_Harry couldn't help himself, he glanced at the moon. It was shining brightly over the destroyed alley, a brightly shining half-moon. He hadn't more time to contemplate it before someone attacked him from behind and the battle were up and going again. _

_When he had time to glance back at where he last seen Tonks he saw Moony, a screaming Death Eater in his mouth. Moony shook the man back and forth in a wild rage before a plop was heard when the arm were ripped off and fell to the ground with a splashing sound. The trembling Death Eater cradled his stumped arm and tried to crawl away from the werewolf. He didn't get far until Moony bit at his throat; the man managed a terrified yell before his throat was ripped open. _

Harry forced the memory out of his head and focused on James.

"I agree with you Ja..Dad, I shouldn't fear Remus. I will apologise next time I see him."

James beamed at him.

"That's my boy!"

"Only if you truly mean it Harry, he will know if you don't," said Lily in a prim voice and stared sternly at him.

"I mean it," said Harry with so strong conviction that they were slightly taken aback. Harry noticed and smiled sheepishly at them. "I just thought how it must have been in Remus position, it's not his fault after all."

"My baby boy is growing up!" said Lily happily. "This warrants celebration, I will get some ice cream," she continued and went for the kitchen. James and Rose did high five to each other.

Lily comes back in with the ice cream. James and Rose happily poured up gigantic portions and started to shoves the food in their mouth in the same manners as Ron. Harry smiled at the memory and started in on his own portion with more proper manner. At least Hermione had managed to beat in some etiquette in him.

"So have you both decided who you want to invite to your birthday party?" asked Lily. "Its not even two weeks left."

"I have many I want to invite," squealed Rose excitedly. Harry tuned her out as she started to ramble names, occasionally paying attention when he mentioned someone he knew.

"Neville off course and Ginny, I guess that I can invite Fred and George too they are funny on parties. You should have seen them after we had won a Quidditch game they..."

"Are you not going to invite Ron?" asked Harry, eager to hear anything about his boyfriend.

"Ron?" she scrunched her face in concentration. "Ron?... isn't he one of Ginny's big brothers?"

"Yes he is," said Harry impatiently.

"I cant really put a face to the name...wait isn't he the one with bad temper, he who tried, key word tried, to curse Malfoy and he ended up belching snails?"

"Yes I guess so but that is hardly any of his better moments."

"I'd say," snorted Rose. "It was absolutely disgusting, why, do you want to invite him?" she asked incredulously.

"Well we started talking last year and we got along quite well," lied Harry while putting a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth.

"What am I hearing! Have you finally got a friend, that's wonderful, off course you must invite him," said Lily and hugged him from behind. Harry squirmed uncomfortably and hoped she would dismiss it as him being an angsty teenager. "And I don't want to hear you talking about his misfortune with the snails at the party," she said sternly to Rose.

"But I wanna know, as a marauder I command you to tell me everything about all the students misfortunes," said James in mischievous voice. Lily glared at him. "Um I mean in a strongly supporting way to...um know how to treat him properly at the party," he trailed of uncertainly and offered a meek smile to Lily.

"James you are supposed to be the adult here why…" started Lily but seemed to deem it a hopeless case, making Harry guess that they had had this argument many times before.

"Well it was in our second year, Neville would have his first Quidditch training. You remember how he got on the team."

"How did he manage that?" asked Harry but he had a suspicion.

"What do you mean how, everyone knows..."

"After all Hogwarts gossip system is the most efficient there is, or at least it was in our time, don't you agree Lily flower?" said James and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. She rolled her eyes and laughed.

"How can I forget, the entire school knew within one hour that I finally had agreed to go out on a date with Potter. I still suspect that it was Sirius who started it."

"I'm hurt that you would accuse my best friend of such traitorous deeds!" said James in mock hurt. "It could have been Alice you know."

"One word: Marauder."

"Hello back to my story!" shouted Rose gaining the attention once again. "As I was saying Neville got the post on our first flying lesson, you know when he caught your wand Malfoy had nicked from you. Caught it in a dive, McGonagall saw and got him on the team, bet she saw a chance to finally get the Quidditch cup from Snape. But of course you were in the hospital wing when that happened."

"Your first and only time on a broom, I just hope that Rose will be able to get on the team before she leaves Hogwarts, we have to keep the Potter tradition alive," said James in a severe voice, laded with impendent doom.

"Don't worry dad, Neville helps me train so I will be ready when they hold try outs. I'm sure I will be a Chaser."

"That's my girl, now we were speaking about the Slugboy," Rose giggled and Lily glared at James.

"Well it was during the first training of the year, Malfoy had managed to buy his way on the team and Snape had given them permission to use the field."

"Of course Snape would favour his own house," grumbled James, Lily frowned at him but made no comment, partly agreeing.

"Well we started to argue and Malfoy insulted the Weasley's, we were about to retort when this Ron guy, drew his wand and tried to curse him. However his wand backfired and he hit himself, hence the snail belching. Ginny had to escort him to the hospital wing. Filch hounded him for weeks about the slime trail he had left in the halls."

James howled with laughter and Harry glared at him, resisting the urge to hex him for laughing at his boyfriend.

"I don't think you should laugh at his effort to defend his family," he said in an icy voice. James and Rose immediately stopped laughing and watched him, surprised at the venom in his voice.

"You're right Harry, they shouldn't laugh," said Lily as she repressed a shudder down her spine. His voice had been so cold, ruthless and for a second she knew that she never ever wanted to be his enemy.

"I don't like the way this conversation is taking, I'll go to bed now," he said in a reserved voice. And without deigning them a second glance he went up the stairs.

Still irritated he entered his room and glanced around, his eyes fell disapprovingly on the open window and the door without a lock. Anyone could break into his room at any time.

He really wished that he could use his wand, he really felt vulnerable when he didn't warded his room. He could as well sleep in the middle of the street and he would feel equally safe.

Instead he was forced to reduce to using a muggle trick he had seen on the TV once. He took am empty bottle of butter beer and balanced it on the door handle.

He watched his work satisfied – it wouldn't keep anyone from entering but at least he would be warned. If someone opened the door, the bottle would crash to the floor, it was enough, since the war he was a light sleeper.

Tired he crept into his bed, dutifully practiced his Occlumeny for thirty minutes before drifting to sleep.


	5. Get to know old friends

_The stench from dead bodies filled his nose as he carefully stepped around in the ruins of a house. It was still, eerily so. The shouts from his men had dimmed away as they all had spread out to search for survivors. It was so quiet. No birds singing, no car driving in the distance not even the rustling of the tr__ees. It was death in the air; it was like the wind itself didn't want to make itself known. He entered what looked like a child's room. His gaze caught what he knew he would found. And yet dreaded. _

_A child, or the body of a child, lying brokenly in a pool of blood on the pink rug. Curly blonde hair gathered around an angelic face. Harry knew that he shouldn't look but his gaze inescapably was drawn to look into her eyes. _

_Blue eyes like the sky, frozen in death, in a silent scream of pain. They stared accusingly at him; he could feel it in the cold fact that they were unmoving. Dead. Why didn't you save me. Why let me suffer like this. I am innocent. Why did you let them hurt me. _

_They came too late. They failed. He was too late. He failed her. She was so innocent and she was dead because he wasn't strong enough. Not fast enough. Not smart enough to understand that her house would be attacked. _

_He turned around, desperately trying to escape her accusing stare. Trying desperately to shut out the accusing words of so many others he hadn't been able to save. Why didn't you save us. We didn't do anything. We were innocent. You came too late. You are too weak. _

_He stumbled and fell not caring to ease the fall. I'm sorry I failed you. I am too weak. I can't take it anymore, he cried but the voices didn't listen, they just continued their never ending blame. And deep within his heart he knew they were right. It was his fault. He was too weak. _

Harry woke up with a gasp and searched the room wildly. He felt tears running down his cheeks and breathed heavily as if he had been running. He couldn't shake off the feeling of panic. Something was stirring inside of him, chaotic and raging, guilt, sorrow, loss and hate mingled together in an undistinguished mess of pain so powerful in its intensity that he knew he could never let it surface lest it would consume him.

He grabbed his chest as if it would calm the raging storm inside of him and took several deep gasps. He looked beside him and discovered that he was alone in his bed. Where were Ron and Hermione?

His heart constricted fearfully before he was able to recall yesterday's events. How they had ended up in a different world. _Not a different world, _he thought miserably. _A different dimension._

After a few minutes his breathing had become even and he glanced at the alarm clock. 4.30. He got up from his bed and went to the window. He knew that he wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep after a nightmare.

He frowned as he gazed up at the dark night sky. The nightmares had always plagued him and since Voldemort's resurrection they had became more and more violent. But these last years he had always had the comfort of waking up beside Ron and Hermione.

Ron and Hermione were also haunted by nightmares that forced their own memories against them. Their sleep was always interrupted by his screams, Ron's trashing or Hermione's crying. They practised their occlumence daily but it didn't keep the nightmares away. Somehow it only seemed to make them more vivid, more focused.

This one had been unusually clear, and somehow, knowing that the old pains didn't want to let him be, not even in a new world, filled him with dread. Seeing Remus alive when he should have been dead stirred up old wounds, especially when he had got over his death. Or so he thought.

And on top on that being separated from Ron and Hermione.

They always shared a bed, at least after they had left Hogwarts. Somehow feeling the others bodies beside him chased the nightmares away. He knew that it was the same for the other two. He smiled grimly – they had became quite attached to each other, to the point of even hurting being away from them.

He saw clouds drove away, revealing a near full moon. His eyes turned distant as he watched the dark craters on its pale surface. It was just a week left until the full moon. They would soon see each other again.

When the sun started to rise over the fields he started to dress. In the furthest corner of his closet he found a pair of trouser and a t-shirt. Putting on running shoes he silently sneaked down the stairs.

Unnoticed he left the house and started to jog down the street. Twenty minutes later he had to stop, panting heavily. He really had to re-evaluate his new body's shape. In his old one he had been quite muscled and could run for two hours before being tired.

He and Ron had always led a very strict and tough training regime for all their men. It had always been a lot of grumblings when they were woken up at six in the morning to run several miles and then do fifty push ups.

But of course they stopped complaining when they noticed the training paid off – they could always duel Death Eater longer before tiring.

This was just pathetic he had just been running for twenty minutes and already his chest constricted painfully and he felt like he was going to faint!

_This is just fantastic_, he thought sarcastic as he forced his trembling legs to cooperate.

He turned around, realising he needed to get back before someone realised that he was gone, and started to run back in a slightly slower pace. Twenty agonizing minutes later he dragged himself up the stars and collapsed on the floor in his room.

He was just mentally debating with himself; whether he should do push-ups or if he should skip them, when a knock on the door saved him from a decision.

"Rise and shine lazybones, can't let you sleep all morning," James cheerful voice ringed trough the door. Harry groaned but made no attempt to move, until Lily spoke that is.

"Breakfast in ten, and if you're not down there I'll pour a bucket of water over you."

"But Lily Flower that's my line, I'm the marauder here," whined James. He got no answer and Harry heard them disappear down the stairs. Quickly he stretched and took a quick shower. He wasn't sure if Lily would make real of her threat so ten minutes later he sat down at the table.

The kitchen could best be described as pandemonium. Lily was busy with finding things in the fridge and didn't notice the tea water was boiling over, or the eggs were burning.

He was just about to help when James ran to the stove and grabbed the saucepan so quickly that the hot water spilled on his hands.

James dropped the saucepan and swore, using words Harry was sure he wasn't supposed to hear. A quick healing spell from Lily helped the burn, and she dried up the spilled water. She was just about to fill the saucepan with water and start again when James stopped her.

"Wait we do it with magic this time," he said and pointed at the saucepan with his wand.

"Incendio." The spell hit and the water started to boil.

"It doesn't taste as good when you do it with magic," said Lily grumpily.

"Well let's face it; you are useless in the kitchen, the only one who is worse is me," he gave his wife a kiss and her sour face disappeared. "But that's okay I love you no matter what your food taste like."

"You are right, but I think that maybe Sirius is worse than you," she said teasingly.

"What about Sirius?" asked Rose ho had stumbled into the kitchen, still in pyjamas.

"We're talking about that Padfoot is a disaster in the kitchen."

"More like a menace, Matthew told me when Sirius were going to make breakfast for aunt Talia and managed to set the kitchen on fire. Aunt Talia had to rush up from bed and fight the fire because Sirius was panicking about his burned scones. It was her birthday," said Rose happily.

Harry smiled when he imagined an apron dressed Sirius running around screaming about his scones. It was something he hardly could have pictured in his old world.

"How come he never told me that!" whined James.

"Probably because he knew you would tease him about it until he died."

"Right you are!"

Harry sniggered at their antics; they acted like teenagers in love. Somehow this was how he always had imagined his parents. In love and carefree.

"What's going to happen today?" asked Rose in a high voice cutting her parents off.

"Padfoot is going to come over, it sounded like Talia wanted to get rid of them."

"Great, I can't wait to show Matthew the new move on my broom," said Rose excited.

"Exactly who is going to come?" asked Harry, having already figured out that Sirius had children in this dimension.

"Padfoot and all of the kids."

"All of them?"

"I guess so."

Harry hid his frustration over never getting a straight answer, he had tried yesterday too, but James or anyone ever thought it necessary to mention how many children. For them it was obviously but Harry was, as usual, stumbling in the dark.

When Sirius finally arrived in the afternoon Harry was overwhelmed by a Black invasion.

"Harry!" shouted a girl with curly blond hair, as she threw herself around Harry's waist. Harry tensed in her arms and tried to pry her away from him without arouse suspicion. Unfortunely the girl was stuck to him like glue. Realising that he couldn't get rid of her without exposing his abilities, he resigned to let her hang on him.

In the corner of his eye he could see Rose grab a boy in her own age and drag him up the stairs. The boy looked like an exact copy of Sirius. He suddenly felt a tugging at his arm and looked down, seeing an even smaller girl, also in curly blond hair.

"Hey Harry, look what I have painted for you," she said as she held up a drawing. It looked like three people, two small in yellow hair, and one twice as big with dark hair. Above their heads were what looked like a rainbow.

"It's very beautiful, thank you so much," he said and took it.

"Are you not going to guess what it is?"

"I guess that this is me and this is you and your sister," he said pointing at the figures.

"Yes, this is Sienna, she is looking after an owl because she wants to go till Hogwarts, and this is me, I'm scaring away the owls because I don't want her to go." She said in a smug voice her sister, Sienna, stuck out her tongue at her.

Ignoring their banter he turned his attention towards the door and was greeted by the sight of his godfather. Suddenly he was that scrawny emotional fifteen year old boy again. He felt a painful jolt in his stomach and had had to ruthlessly squash the urge to run into his arms and cry his eyes out.

_Get yourself together Potter! Y__ou have known that he would come for hours. Get a grip!_ he berated himself and walked forward with a stoic expression.

He had spent the entire morning practising Occlumence and carefully got control over all his emotions. He was determined not to break down and start sobbing at the sight of his godfather.

Having all his emotions firmly in place gave him an opportunity to study him. Sirius was quite handsome, his hair fell in cascades on his shoulders and his eyes shone with mirth. He had a few wrinkles around his eyes but he was far from the man Harry had come to know. His Sirius had been much more haggard and had always looked haunted, the horrors from Azkaban always present in his eyes.

He didn't had to worry though, Sirius barely spared him a glance before he told the two girls and a five years old boy who had attached himself to Harry at some point, to go up and play. Then he disappeared into the kitchen leaving Harry feeling a bit anticlimax about the whole event.

He was not used to be brushed off that lightly. _Who the hell does he think he is, just ignoring me like that,_ then he remembered that to Sirius he was the son to Lily and James Potter, whom he had probably seen a million times before. Furthermore he was Rose's godfather, not Harry's. Still it hurt more than he had thought it would to be ignored by Sirius like this.

Admittedly people had ignored him and treated him like a child in his old world too, despite his boy-who-lived status. But he had always been in the centre of the attention, either it was because everybody were worried sick about him or because he was in the middle of some fated battle between good and evil. _Oh man I can't seriously miss all the attention. There is something really wrong with me, _he groaned to himself.

He were just thinking about following Sirius into the kitchen when he remembered that he still had the three kids around him.

"Um okay, why won't you run up the stairs and do whatever child stuff children does in your age" he said trying to sound convincingly cheerful. _I really have no finesse with kids,_ he thought. _Except for Teddy he was just absolutely adorable,_ he admitted and turned his attention back to Sirius kids – who still hadn't moved, or relinquished their rather strong grip on his clothes.

"What are you talking about Harry, aren't you gonna play with us?" asked Lucinda with confused eyes.

"Not really, I had thought that I would talk to Sirius a bit."

"But dad said that you would play with us to day."

_Oh no__ no no they are __**not**__ shipping me of to be babysitter! _his mind screamed at him in irrational panic.

"Maybe he mistook me with some one else, besides I have homework to do." _How do they manage to pull of those puppy eyes? _He thought in fascination.

"But dad said that you would be playing wit us, if you don't daddy will wonder why we are hanging around the adults all the time and then he will ask you why you don't wanna play with us," said Sienna in a sweet voice. _Definitely a Slytherin._

"Very well you obnoxious girl I will play with you."

"What does obnoxious mean?" asked Sienna curiously as she content grabbed his arm and dragged him upstairs.

"It means that you'll soon transform into a fairy," he replied with a smirk _Who said that I can't prank someone, even if it's only a ten year old girl. _

The girl gave off an excited squeal and bounced up the stairs, probably to find a mirror to start looking for wings. Harry followed slowly with a mounting sense of dread filling him.

He was quite right as he one hour later had to fight the growing urge to slam his head repeatedly in the table, or even better jump out the window and run for his life. _Give me Voldemort any day over this,_ he thought miserably.

"Harry, we are going to have a ball at the castle," said the girl, Lucinda.

"Um that's sounds really fun but I need to go and drink some water, see you," he screamed as he all but ran out through the door.

Harry, having successfully managed to worm his way from the three children, went down the stairs – taking as long time as possible. No offence to them, sure they were wonderful kids (even if Sienna were a real drama queen) and he liked them, he guessed, even if they couldn't replace his Teddy.

But he would also spend time with Sirius; he was more than little annoyed that his parents would ship him off with the little kids while Rose was with the adults. Perhaps his counterpart was okay with that. Judging by the way Sienna and Lucinda begged him to play prince and princesses with them "like they always did", made it look like this was a normal occurrence. Maybe his meekly counterpart had been content to play dress up with the girls but Harry wasn't.

_Hell I'm twenty years old__, I don't play with dolls,_ he thought to himself, in what he decided was **not** a whiny voice. He had started to realise it would be really difficult to fit in in the family. Above all else it was very trying for his patience!

Walking past the living room he spotted Rose and the Sirius-look-alike sitting on the floor playing exploding snap. He didn't know the boy's name because Rose had dragged him up to her room before introductions could be made. But he doubted the boy would have introduced himself, seeing as Harry was supposed to know everybody already.

He continued past the living room and was just about to enter the kitchen when he heard the adults talk. Knowing that this was the only way he was bound to hear some useful information he didn't even had any qualms about eavesdropping.

"Yes Amelia have been hounding me about it non stop these last weeks," said Sirius voice.

"How did you manage to get away from duty?" asked James voice curiously.

"Except begging on my bare knees? I told her that I would work undercover as well as keeping an extra eye on Neville… that boy is bound to hang around us as it is."

"I envy you, I have to work together with Tonks, our shift starts at six in the morning and then we'll spend the entire day keeping the order at the camping place."

"You only have the first day though, poor Kingsley have duty after the match, there is bound to be fights between the supporters," answered Sirius.

"Sports," said Lily in an annoyed voice. "It's only trouble, if people don't get hurt during the match they get injured after."

"Careful Lily, you are channelling Pomfrey."

"Merlin knows that we heard more than enough of those speeches after Quidditch games," said James.

"But that's because you always managed to get hit by a bludger or crashing in the stands," retorted Lily in an affronted voice.

"It happened once! Once! How many times will I hear that!"

Harry could hear Sirius snicker and were just contemplating going in when James spoke up in a serious voice.

"Oh Lily did you found out who is going to be the DADA teacher this year?"

There was silence before Lily answered. "Well I asked Minerva, and she said that Dumbledore had asked Moody, I wasn't sure if I was going to believe her." Harry pictured Lily with a disapproving frown on her face.

"Mad eye! Is Dumbledore off his rocker? That crazy auror will traumatize the students for life."

"We had him during Auror training, remember our first lesson?"

"He banged the door open and hexed three trainees…"

"All the while shouting Constant vigilance."

"Do you think it will be safe for the students," asked Lily worried.

"He is okay Lily. He's going to teach them how to survive," reassured James.

"He is a bit brutal sometimes but it's not like he's a mad psychopath."

_Not a mad psychopath?_thought Harry sarcastic. _If the timeline plays put like last time he's a murdering death eater psychopath._

Deciding he had heard enough he opened the door and the conversation ended when they turned around.

"Hello there Harry, is everything fine up there, kids not to much trouble?"

"No, it's fine Sirius" said Harry and walked over to the sink. He filled a glass of water and drank slowly as he tried to think of something to say. He didn't want to attract unwanted attention by sprouting information he wasn't privy to. Making up his mind he asked.

"Do we have any Daily Prophet?" he asked innocently.

"There is one on the bench, were they always are," said Lily and raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him.

"I forgot," muttered Harry and collected the paper; he frowned when he noticed that it was one week old. "This one is from Saturday; don't we have anyone from today?"

"Why do you need a new one? What are you going to do," asked Lily. Now it was Harry's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh I don't now, maybe to read, you know what people usual do with a newspaper," he drawled in a sarcastic voice. Lily startled at his sarcasm stopped and stared closer at him. She was not used to him answer back, and definitely at him using sarcasm. That was a trait she usually associated with Severus, in fact Severus favourite target for scathing comments was Harry.

"Hello not that tone to your mother," said James immediately but Lily just waved him of, despite the fact that her own son had made her blush.

"Its okay James, it was I who thought that he would not read them, I guess I deserved that one. Harry, the fresh prophets are in the office. Was it something special you were looking for?"

"Nope, just thought I would keep up with what's happening," said Harry shrugging.

"And here I thought we never would get you interested in anything that hadn't happened two centuries back or related to goblin rebellions." Harry gave James a pointed look before shrugging dismissively.

"Whatever," he drawled and went up the stairs, determined to find a hiding place from Sirius kids.

Back in the kitchen sat three befuddled adults staring somewhat confused at the doorway he had disappeared through. They couldn't really put the finger on it, but something was really off with Harry Potter. Harry had always been somewhat shy and clumsy. Pathetic had been Rose's words when she had been mad at her twin brother. And deep down in their hearts Lily and James silently agreed with her. They would never admit it though, they still loved Harry.

But they couldn't help to sometimes wish that he was someone else. That he didn't have the lowest grades in his year. Or that he laughed at a joke because he understood it not because everybody else laughed. Or that he would have some friends and could be a little more popular. Most of all James wished that he would show little more of the Gryffindor spirit. He was a coward and all in all reminded James a little bit too much of Wormtail for James comfort.

But these last days he had been different, more confident and almost mature in his ways. He talked to James and Lily as they were his equals, not as adult who were about to ground him. Maybe he finally had grown a backbone?

It was Sirius who snapped out of it first.

"Did he just dismiss us?" he asked bemusedly.

The days continue as usual and Harry fell into a pattern of normality that he never really had experienced, maybe except for his earlier years at Hogwarts. Lily and James seemed to have finally noticed that he was acting different but seemed to be quite delighted in the change. Harry still took great care in not acting to much out of character and not exposing himself. He had known that it would be unavoidable not to get noticed. They were the other Harry's parents, no matter how sparse their relationship had been. They were bound to notice something.

But of course acting like a fourteen year old was sometimes quite difficult, especially if your name was Harry Potter. Those times he did slip up he always managed to lie convincingly and adding to the belief that he still was the clumsy son; like he had done yesterday when his dad and Rose had tried to prank him.

-Flashback-

It was early morning and Harry had managed to fall back to sleep after awoken from a nightmare. Suddenly he heard a crash sounding from his door and someone silently cursing. Before his brain even had registered what was happening he had thrown himself of the bed and crouched on the floor. He pointed his wand at the intruders as his brain slowly started to wake up. He blinked and focused his eyes on a sheepish Rose and a somewhat bewildered James.

"How could you possibly have such a reaction," he asked in disbelieving voice. "It was just like you acted on reflexes!"

"In this house you'll need to be on your guard, lest you're going to get pranked," he countered as he berated himself for acting so suspiciously.

"On your guard! You got your wand in your hand so fast you must have been sleeping with it." He saw Harry's slightly sheepish look and stared at him disbelievingly. "You slept with your wand! You acting like Mad Eye!"

"Who is Mad Eye?" Harry asked innocently.

"He is an old auror veteran, he is retired now."

"You're sleeping with your wand, why? You aren't even allowed to use it in the summers," said Rose.

_Death E__aters don't care about such details,_ he had to restrain himself from answer. Instead he shrugged. "I used it as a backscratcher before falling asleep, I still had it in my hand when I woke up."

Rose just sighed and grabbed her pranking items and disappeared through the door. James gave him one searching look and followed her. He hadn't mentioned the rigged door but Harry was sure he had noticed. Harry sighted annoyed and went to pick up the broken bottle shards.

-End Flashback-

He wasn't sure if James had bought his excuse; the man was an auror after all. Harry was sure that he had gotten a bit suspicious, maybe this incident wasn't enough for him to figure it out, but he would be on his guard now. Maybe he would start to pierce the clues together.

But part from that nothing happened, his parents went to work everyday, Rose disappeared to her friends and Harry kept waiting for Remus to drop by; he wanted to apologise.

The opportunity presented itself the day before he was to meet Ron and Hermione again.

Someone knocked at the door when Harry was home alone, and after peeping through the window to see who it was he opened the door.

"Oh hello Harry, is James or Lily home?" Remus said in a neutral voice and seemed to take great care of keeping the distance between them. Harry looked closer at him and saw that he seemed a bit tired. Not so strange as the full moon was only a few days away, Ron was the same so Harry easily recognized the signs.

Even though Ron's lycanthropy usually manifested in grumpiness and short temper – and a need to stay in bed and eat lots and lots of chocolate. It was a bit like PMS Harry recognised, and they often joked that it wasn't only Hermione who had 'that time of the month', but in Ron's case they called it PLS; Pre Lunatic symptoms.

"No they're still at work, is there something I can tell them?" answered Harry as he recalled the question.

"No it's fine, I'll just come back another day." He turned around to leave but Harry stopped him.

"Wait... would you like to come in... If you have time I mean... I would like to talk to you," he said in a fast voice and watched him pleadingly.

Remus watched him thoughtfully, as trying to figure him out. "No I have time...but are you sure you want me to come in, especially when there is no one else home?"

"I'm sure." Harry turned around and motioned for Remus to follow him. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes thanks," said Remus as he followed Harry, his voice sounded extremely confused as to Harry's changed attitude towards him.

They went to the kitchen and Remus sat down on a chair as Harry started to fix the tea. Harry could feel his godfather's gaze on him all the time.

A while later they sat at the table with two steaming teacups in front of them. Harry took a sip as he tried to gather his thoughts. He didn't know were to start, it was not easy to apologise for something he technically hadn't done.

"I would like to apologise," he said breaking the long silence between them. He sensed that Remus were about to speak so he continued. "It was wrong of me to be treating you for what you are instead of treating you for who you are. My actions were quite inexcusable but I hope that you will forgive me." He had been staring down at his teacup all the time and raised his head to look at Remus.

Remus face was a whirlwind of emotions, relief, suspicions, happiness, anger and fear. "Do you mean it?" Remus finally said in a still voice.

"Yes I do. I don't fear you," he said truthful, knowing that he would have to be completely honest. If he weren't Remus would notice and then the werewolf would never forgive or accept him, not when he already had been betrayed and hurt by Harry.

Suddenly Remus leaped forward and grabbed Harry at his collar. Harry felt the werewolf draw him closer so that Remus face was just inches from Harry's. "I don't believe you! What game are you playing!" Remus growled.

Harry, upon realising that Remus wasn't attacking him, immediately stopped struggling and let the werewolf overpower him. He could feel the werewolf's confusion at his submission as he relaxed in Remus grip. He lifted his head, unwavering meeting Remus eyes. He saw the distrust and fear in them.

"I don't fear you," he said in a calm voice, he watched Remus come back to his senses and released Harry as if had been burned.

"I'm so sorry Harry I don't know what come over me," he sad in a weary voice as he distanced himself from Harry again.

"You have nothing to apologise for, it was nothing more than I deserved. It is I who has been acting like a monster here," said Harry a bit bitter, thinking of his counterpart.

"But how? No one changes like this in a few day," he suddenly narrowed his eyes at Harry. "It was James wasn't it. He forced you to do this!"

"I will not deny that Ja..Dad scolded me about my behaviour. He has done many times but I never listened. This time I started think though. And I realised many things. I am sure that the wolf inside you is a force to respect, but you should not be feared."

Remus stared at him long and hard, Harry calmly stared back but on the inside he almost panicked. Harry was about to lower his eyes in defeat when Remus reached out his hand. "If you really are sincere I'll forgive you."

Harry smiled and took the offered hand. "Thank you so much."

"I believe that I should be the one to thank you, after all I got my godson back," said Remus, and Harry noted a genuine smile on his face.

"You shouldn't thank me, after all I was acting like a prat."

"But you are acting very mature now, maybe we should start anew," suggested Remus. "Hello I am Remus Lupin and I'm your godfather," said Remus in a mischievous voice and his eyes twinkled. Harry marvelled when he caught a glimpse of the young marauder he had once been.

His old Remus almost never laughed and when he did you could still see the pain in his eyes. But his Remus had survived two of his friends and experienced the betrayal of the third. His Remus had spent 12 years in solitude, always moving, trying to forget a happier life. This Remus had never experienced anything like that and Harry hoped that he never would.

"Hey my name is Harry Potter and I would very much start anew."

They went back to their now cold tea and Harry racked his brain for something to say. He had no idea what subjects were okay to speak about. He was saved from finding one when Remus decided to ask him what he wished for his birthday.

"I don't know," said Harry when he was struck by sudden inspiration. "I was thinking of wishing for a Rat," he said and closely watched Remus reaction.

His feeling was proven correct when Remus flinched and let of an angry growl.

"Is something wrong Remus," he asked concerned.

"No it's nothing, it's just that I don't like rats. They are a traitorous lot," Remus answered in a bitter voice.

"If you don't like it maybe I should wish for an owl." He had earlier noticed that he didn't owned Hedwig in this world. "It would be nice to have an own pet, and an owl is very useful."

Though he wasn't sure if he ever wanted another owl than Hedwig. When she had been killed in his old world he had refused to buy a new one; instead relied on Ron's owl.

"Yes an owl is a very nice companion, very clever animal too," mused Remus having regained his composure.

"And if I had an owl I could send letter to everybody."

They talked for awhile until Remus glanced at his watch and discovered that he was late. He flew up from the chair and rushed to the door, Harry followed him and bid him farewell. Remus gave him a smile and patted him on his back. Harry watched him apparate away.

Swiftly he cleaned away the teacups before he headed to meet Ron and Hermione.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

At the same time as Harry disappeared in the floo, three wizards and one witch were walking down the hill outside of the village. They had applied notice-me-not charms, not only because they were dressed in wizarding robes but also because of the most curious device one of them held.

It was a white orb surrounded by a metal construction which had arrows pointing in four directions. It was held by Unspeakable Davies who tried to explain the thing for Unspeakable Aldwick.

"…and it kind of feels the magic in the air, it will shine a different colour depending on what magic it snaps up, right now is it a rainbow of colours…"

"Meaning full and empty," continued Aldwick in a knowing voice. "There is either so little magic here that it picks up all the shifts in nature or that there is some big magical interference that it can't get a clear reading."

"Correct but right now that doesn't matter for us because the anomaly we are searching for will stand out like a unicorn among dementors. And once we found it we should be able to follow it, that's what the arrows are for. This is a living magic orb…"

"Very rare and expensive so hold it tightly," said Croaker from behind them.

"This orb won't pick up on lingering magic or passive magic like wards and such. Instead it picks up living magic, magic that is constantly in motion, be it a magical creature, wizard or something that actively reeks magic. The orbs back at the department wouldn't stop blaring which means that there is a constant flow of magic, we just need to find it."

"I can't wait to find out what would get the description foreign magic, and don't you dare say aliens," said Aldwick in a scowling voice when she saw him open his mouth.

"I wasn't…" started Davies when the orb suddenly started flashing in a light red colour.

"Well look at that! It seems like the orb have picked up the foreign signature, the closer we get now the stronger it is going to shine," said Davies in a content voice when the device actually worked.

"I have never really seen magic manifest in this way," said Aldwick curiously as she stared intently at the orb. Inside it shone red but as they looked they noticed a thin layer of other colours above it.

"What does that mean?" asked Croaker. Davies and Aldwick looked at each other before shrugging.

"Don't know, never seen it before, could mean that it is mingled with something else, have no idea," said Aldwick.

"Well the arrow points north, meaning that the magic is coming from there," said Davies and started trudging towards a clutter of houses. "We are in for a long walk, the orb back in the department monitored an area of five hundred square kilometers and this orb is very sensitive, our target might be miles away."

They had arrived to the first house when the orb suddenly turned back to its original colour again and the arrows stopped pointing.

"What happened?"

"It lost the track…"

"Meaning?" asked Derwent impatiently.

"Meaning that the flow of magic ended, meaning that the thing is either dead or disappeared to somewhere else," snapped Davies.

"So it is back to the department again," said Croaker in a slightly bored voice.

"Yes there we might get another lead to go next," said Davies as he deactivated the orb and putt it in a box.

"Davies you will have to take the Knight bus, the orb can't handle apparition or portkeys and the ministry won't lend cars anymore," continued Croaker as he and Derwent prepared to apparate.

"Why do I get the feeling that there will be a lot of traveling in this assignment," sighed Aldwick.

"Well at least you don't have to drag the equipment. The orb can't take apparitions or portkeys, I'll have to use the Knight bus all the time," grumbled Davies as he lifted his wand an summoned the Knight bus.


	6. Acting their age

"So what have you found out?" asked Hermione as she grabbed a piece of paper and a ballpoint pen.

They were sitting in Hermione's room, Harry sat curled up in the sofa, Ron on the bed and Hermione on the rug. Hermione's parents where away at their dentist office, so they had their house to themselves.

"Are you sure you should write our plans down, what if someone finds it. I mean it's highly confident and suspicious plans," warned Ron and Hermione glared at him.

"I intend to burn it when we are finished. I'm not stupid, this is just to make sure we don't forget anything," she said shortly, still a bit sour because Harry and Ron had teased her about her pink room. She hadn't been able to redecorate before they arrived.

Ron opened his mouth to retort but Harry who was all too familiar with their bickering decided to interrupt.

"How about I start." He suggested and they turned their attention to him. "Well as you know I have a sister, her name is named Rose."

"You could give us a profile of her, like we did during war briefings" said Ron.

"Okay, she is my twin sister, from what I can gather she is really popular in Hogwarts, friends with Ginny, Matthew and Neville."

"Matthew?" asked Ron

"Sirius oldest son. Anyway, at home she is our parents' favourite. She is beautiful, smart, witty and she and her friends are the next generation marauders, making Sirius and James liking them even more. She's quite the opposite too my counterpart who is shy, clumsy and untalented" Harry then proceeded to tell them about his parents, Sirius family and his reconciliation with Remus.

"...and lastly I believe that Wormtail was the traitor."

"What made you think that?"

"There is next to none pictures of him in the house and Remus reacted very strongly when I suggested I got a pet rat in birthday present."

"You are so Slytherin Harry," teased Ron.

"What can I say, half Slytherin," said Harry shrugging. Hermione decided to continue her discoveries.

"Well we still have the age restriction on..."

"How did you figure that out?" asked Harry.

"The only possibly way, I levitated my pillow, wandlessly mind you. Got a warning from the ministry so they can detect that."

"My my Mione breaking rules," said Harry teasingly. He ducked when Hermione threw a pillow at him.

"I'll let you know that I can break rules when it is necessary. I'm not the well-behaved little schoolgirl I used to be," she said in a strong voice.

"We know, after all weren't you the one to break into the ministry and destroyed all their files on half breeds," said Ron in a dreaming voice. "I was so proud of you when you told off that ministry employee and then put the entire department on fire. They would never forget Hermione Granger that's for sure." He said in a content voice, as if remembering a fond memory.

_As it probably was__,_ mused Harry.

"Back to track shall we? About my life here... every thing is pretty much the same. Well for two things, I have a sister here. She is jealous of me because I have magic and she doesn't. She doesn't understand that the magic world didn't made my counterpart happy." Hermione hesitated before lifting her sleeves, revealing a dozen scars covering her arms.

Ron swore and was immediately by her side as were Harry.

"She must have been so unhappy," said Hermione in a conflicted voice.

"Mione why didn't you tell us," asked Harry in a concerned voice.

"What good would it do? And besides I didn't discovered them until I was in the shower that evening."

"I wonder why we didn't become friends here, I mean it seams that we all are outsiders, we should have been sticking together," wondered Ron out loud.

"I think I know why, Hermione is a know it all and manage to scare everybody away, especially Ron. Ron your nickname is Slugboy because you tried to curse Malfoy with a broken wand..."

"Let me guess: I belched snails," groaned Ron.

"Yes you did and neither I nor Hermione was there, your sister got you to the hospital wing and you covered half the school in slime at the same time."

"How about you Harry, I found my counterparts diary and she writes about your sister. She seems to have it all, she is popular, friends with the boy-who-lived and beautiful. My counterpart is extremely jealous. But I figured that some of the ups would go to you."

"Not really, my counterpart is a real pipsqueak; I think that my parents are a bit disappointed in him. He is a coward and untalented, shy and boring, absolutely nothing special about him."

"A loser in other words then" said Ron. "Pretty much as my own counterpart, totally overshadowed by my siblings and another thing Ginny is a total bitch." Said Ron as he ducked his head to avoid getting smacked by Hermione.

"How so? Isn't your family the same?"

Ron frowned and remained silent for awhile before speaking.

"At first I thought so, the twins are joking around as usual, they have begun working on their Weasley's wizard wheezes. Molly nags and mollycoddle as usual. But after a while I discovered differences… like Ginny, she is changed. The old Ginny was a bit shy but with a hell of a temper. This one, well, she is just nasty, always coming with mean comments, always about the fact that I have no talent or is boring. Neville and Rose visited and when I came along to say hello she immediately started complain about that I always tagged along with them. Had I been fourteen it had been very embarrassing."

"Now you just burned up her hair." Said Harry, remembering when he had done that to Hermione once.

"No, I just fled; I couldn't stop thinking that that wasn't Ginny. My Ginny would never say anything like that, she was always so kind. It feels so wrong that she goes around at the Burrow pretending to be Ginny, but she is nothing but an impostor." Ron said in bitter voice.

"I have one question though, why does we even go through this, we don't **have** to stay with our families" said Hermione doing emphasis on families.

"I have been wondering that too. Merlin knows that I have more than twice been on the verge to run away." Said Ron and turned around too watch Harry. "We are twenty years old, why do we have to pretend to be fourteen year olds and living with people who just awakes depressing memories."

"We're would we go? We don't have any money, no magic and who would believe us. Besides, I think this is a good way to start, when we get control over the situation and get means, then we can discuss if we want to move."

"You are right" sighed Ron. "It was what we all had agreed on last week."

"We all knew that it was the best way, but I don't think we knew how painful it would be." Said Harry softly and put a comforting hand on Ron's shoulder.

"So were do we go from here, do we tell Dumbledore?" asked the ever straight forward Hermione.

"HELL NO!" screamed Harry. "Not now when we finally have got away from his manipulating ways."

"I know that you don't like Dumbledore but remember that this Dumbledore is not the same we had. This one never leaved you with the Dursleys or kept the prophecy from you."

"I bet he would have given the chance" muttered Harry.

"I think I agree with Harry. It could be a good point, strategically, to not tell him. Think about it, we would be the fourth fraction, one that no one knows about." Said Ron, ever the strategist.

"Yes, there is the ministry, Voldemort and the Order of the Phoenix, all known factors in the war. Remember when Voldemort controlled the ministry? A few months later, at the battle of Hogwarts he managed to crush the Order and the world were left with no organized resistance. What would have happened if we hadn't been able too gather the DA?" said Harry with a tightly controlled voice as he recalled those panicked and painful months after their first large defeat.

"So we don't tell Dumbledore, what next, we should get allies."

"And where do you suggest we get those?" asked Hermione Ron.

"Were we got them last time: Hogwarts," said Harry simply.

"That's a good idea, except for two tiny little details. One; there is no big scary dark lord resurrected yet, two; in case you haven't noticed we're not really popular at Hogwarts," said Ron derisively.

"We'll just have to work on it slowly," said Hermione. "After all we'll have the time, I'm willing to bet that Harry doesn't going to be the fourth champion this time."

"Poor Neville," sighted Ron.

"What more do we need?" asked Harry.

"We should get secret identities, perhaps in the muggle world, then we could get an Gringotts account and a headquarters. We need our own place, where no one will disturb us. But I guess that will have to wait until we know that Voldemort will return," mused Ron out loud, already making plans in his head.

"For all that to work we need to be able to use magic. The tracker must be removed before Voldemort returns…don't know how though," said Harry as he twirled his wand in his hand.

"I doubt the Hogwarts library have any books about ministry trackers… we'll have to find those books in Knockturn alley"

"There're is other things we need also, potions ingredients, wandholsters and you need lenses Harry," said Hermione. "Your glasses are, despite all their enchantments, useless and a liability in battle. And they hide your beautiful eyes, not that I want to start fight other girls over you…"

She reached towards Harry and snatched his glasses. "There much better," she almost purred as she studied his face. "You know if you had dropped the glasses in fifth year you would have had more girls than Cho after you."

"Schuss Mione don't tell him how attractive he is, he will try to replace us," said Ron playfully and grabbed Harry in a tight hug. "He is mine!" He gave him a kiss on the cheek. "And I will never let him go," he said possessively and hugged him even tighter.

"He is ours," said Hermione as she embraced them from behind. "And no matter how many girls swooning over the two of you – they will have to walk over my dead body."

"Would you give back my glasses, I'm defenceless with out them," said Harry and held out his hand towards the blob that was Hermione.

"Did you hear that Ron, he is defenceless," said Hermione in a mischievous voice, making her sound like one of the twins.

"Oh I heard," answered Ron at the same moment seizing Harry's arms from behind. Harry struggled from the grip but was forced down in Ron's lap when Hermione pounced on him.

He could make out Hermione's foggy face as she leaned close to him and kissed him, her long fingers finding their way under his shirt, stroking his chest.

"I really enjoy have you here to our mercy," she whispered. "Somehow I can never seem to get enough of you," she made a movement to get off his clothes but was distracted as Ron leaned over Harry and kissed her on her mouth.

"Not yet," he whispered. "Our bodies are still too young." Hermione made a disappointed sound before responding to Ron's kiss. Harry lay under them feeling their bodies pressing at each other.

Somehow Harry found his way to Hermione's neck and started to kiss it, leaving a red mark. Hermione moaned as he continued as far down as her blouse allowed, kissing every inch of bare flesh before he was distracted by Ron forcing him away and claimed his mouth.

A while later they stopped all three panting heavily and a layer of sweat on their skin. They quickly fixed their dishevelled clothes, Harry put his glasses back on and turned to the two others. Ron was red in the face and Hermione had a suck mark on her neck.

"You know; we really need a headquarter, what if Hermione's parents had entered during that."

Hermione gave of a shaky laugh. "They would have been mad, I'm still fourteen, and with two boys…"

"They would start to wonder what kind of school Hogwarts is," sniggered Ron.

"Okay back to track shall we? Lenses for me, and I have to ask, does anyone of you problem with your wand?"

"Yes I noticed that there was something wrong, somehow it felt weak," said Hermione while frowning.

"Mine too," said Ron waving his wand. "But I thought it was because this is old, broken and passed from my grand uncle, we never won the Ministry's yearly lottery here."

"New wands then?" The others nodded.

"We should try to get to the Diagon Alley at the same time."

"Oh joy time to manipulating the clueless parents," said Harry.

"I will bring make up and other muggle disguise with me and you must brew an aging potion Harry, that way it is more unlikely that someone will disturb us in Knockturn Alley," said Hermione.

A few years ago Harry would have stared at Hermione as if she was crazy for suggesting he would brew a potion. But it was different now. The war had changed a lot of things in his life – including his potions making. He was by no means an inventive potions master but he could brew almost any potion. The advanced healing potions like skelegrow, dreamless sleep potion, blood replenishing potion and post cruciatus were among those he knew best, mostly because they were always needed.

Hermione and Ron never became adequate potion brewers. Hermione because she would be distracted by a book or have her mind on something else, she was first and foremost a scholar, the practical was never really her thing. Ron was just useless, Harry had tried to teach him but soon had deemed it a hopeless case. Some people were just not meant to brew.

Harry had realised that potions were a bit like cooking, something he was quite good at. It seemed like being forced to cook at the Dursleys were good for something. Harry actually cooked most of their meals during the war, mostly because the other two was rubbish at any household work.

But that didn't matter now and Harry sighed and silently cursed the restrictions family life seemed to bring them.

"I can't, I don't have any ingredients and besides I don't dare brew in that house. They are always spying on me, and me brewing an aging potion, which Lily would recognize immediately, would raise suspicions." He explained when he saw Hermione's raised eyebrow.

"But I can't brew, and I don't have any potions ingredients either," said Hermione with some finality. She looked at Ron for help.

"Don't look at me I suck at potions. It's Harry who is our potions master." He quickly said raising his hands at the same time.

Hermione sighted and turned to Harry.

"I'm sure I can make my parents to take me to Diagon Alley to get ingredients, I can always say I need a new book. BUT you will write down exactly what to do. Every tiny step in that blasted potion."

"Sure just give me paper." She found some paper and pencils in a drawer. Harry raised an eyebrow at the rose scented paper.

"It's my counterpart" said Hermione exasperated. "Everything is rose scented, and she has a collection of soaps." Harry and Ron looked at each other and grinned. She saw their looks and screeched. "I DID NOT COLLECT SOAPS!"

Ron sniggered and got a smack in the head for it. Harry managed to hide is mirth a bit more and managed to say. "Sure Hermione we believe you." She gave him a sour look but let him get away with the obvious lie.

"Just wait until I get some gossips about your counterparts." That immediately wiped the smirks from their faces.

Hermione smiled triumphant.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

Having met Ron and Hermione cheered Harry up a bit. At least so much that he managed the following days without blowing up. Neville came over for a visit and Harry had to admit that the boy-who-lived was a stuck up celebrity.

It was a shame really because no matter how shy and clumsy their Neville had been, he had really come true in the war. Neville was one of their closest friends and greatest fighter. This pompous idiot could never hope to get in the same league as their Neville, not with that sheltered and pampered life.

_Maybe Dumbledore was right to keep me away from the fame in the wizarding__ world _he mused silently when he unseen watched Neville and Rose practising Quidditch in the garden. Not that he ever would admit that out loud, he still hadn't forgiven Dumbledore for his manipulations and the Dursleys was sadly one of his lesser failures.

Neville wasn't that interested in talking to Harry nor was Rose so interested in having Harry around – so fishing for information was a bit more difficult than he had thought.

_So I will just have to find it with legllimense when we reach Hogwarts…if __not Hermione have any objections _he thought.

Hermione had always been against using legllimense on non death eaters. And Harry tried to follow her ethics but for the greater good, oh how he hated that phrase, he often delved in the mind of civilians. He could not in good conscience refrain from doing it if it resulted in people dying, just because he refused to get the information to save them in an unethical way.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

Harry looked on the clock on the mantelpiece, it was time. Hs father as well as Sirius, or rather Prongs and Padfoot, were away and accompanied Remus during his transformation. Lily had stayed at home keeping a close eye on her two children. Although Lily wasn't prejudiced against werewolves, she wasn't foolish to dismiss the danger a werewolf meant. She wasn't about to let her children out the night of the full moon (not that she ever would let them out in the night).

This off course posed a problem for Harry. He had tried to sneak out an half an hour ago but had been caught in the act. Now he was sitting in the couch, reading up on transfiguration under the watchful eyes of Lily.

He watched the clock again, it wasn't long before the moon would get up, he needed to get out of the house. Now!

He faked another yawn and prayed that Lily would notice.

"Looks like someone is tired maybe you should go to bed," said Lily and looked at him in a way that permitted no arguments. Not that Harry was going to complain.

"Maybe that's best, I'm a bit tired." He hurried up the stairs and made the water in the shower run for a while. Then he put some pillows in his bed, he stood back and criticised his work. _It's a cheap trick but it'll have to do. _

Sneaking out was a little more successful this time around. In no time he had managed to get two streets away from the house. Making sure no muggles were nearby he raised his wand.

With a loud bang the purple triple decked bus emerged from nowhere. With shrieking brakes it came to a halt one inch from Harry's face.

"Welcome to the Knight bus, emergency transportation for wizard and witches in need," said a very much alive Stan Shunpike. Harry had not been present when he died; someone of his men had done it. His death had not been mourned however. He was a death eater, a low level one, but a death eater nonetheless.

"Hogsmead," he sneered and showered the acquired money in the conductor's hand.

"Whoa there, what are you doing out so late, and during full moon no less. Does your parents know you're out kid?"

"It's none of your business, but yes, they know I'm out," he said in a cold voice feeling no need to be polite.

In his old world he always had to mind his manners because there was always someone who judged him. Compared him to their own glorified image of the boy-who-lived and always found him lacking. Now he was just an ordinary boy, one in the crowd. It was quite relaxing to not be the famous hero. He doesn't have to worry about not fitting the hero persona and pleasing the fickle public's image of him.

He went far back in the bus and quickly grabbed one of the beds when he felt the bus speeding away. He didn't know what obstacles lay in the way for the bus. But from the way the bus jumped, cringed, stopped and turned – he would say at least a dozen buildings and some rivers.

"I really hate this bus," he said trough gritted teeth when the bus came to an abrupt stop.

Thankful for the respite, he looked outside the window to try to identify his surroundings. He seemed to be in some muggle neighbourhood.

"Here lass that's ten sickles. Thank you, if you would go back in the bus you'll find your boyfriend!" he heard Stan's joking voice.

He threw them an uninterested glance when they came into his view. He heard Hermione's irritated voice dismissing him.

"He is not my boyfriend," her icy voice would have made any pureblooded Slytherin green with envy. Stan seemed a bit affronted at her tone and cast a glance at Harry's stone face.

"Could have fooled me, you're acting the same as him. Stuck up little.." he huffed and walked to the front of the bus. Hermione made sure he was out of hearing range before muttering. "Death eater."

"What is it I hear, are you denying our love," he murmured in her ear in a scandalised voice.

"We should keep our relationship secret for know, we are barely fourteen years old. Besides, everyone in school seems to think that we don't know each other."

"I know…well if we're gonna pretend we don't know each other I suggest we sit far apart and spend the rest of the journey glaring at each other."

"In true Slytherin fashion," she smirked.

"Next stop: Hogsmead!" shouted Stan when the bus stopped after twenty very uncomfortable minutes.

Bruised and battered they got off the buss together with an old wizard in a deep red robe. The buss disappeared with a bang and they were alone on the square. The wizard disappeared into the three broomsticks which were filled with people.

Without a word they turned around and started towards the forbidden forest. The forest lay just besides Hogsmead, as if guarding the village. The sun was on its way down and the summer evening shone with a golden light. They cast one glance at the village behind them before they entered the dark forest.

There was a different aura under the green foliage. It was damper, more silent, as if the forest were sleeping, waiting for life to wake up. The old trees gave the feeling of grandeur and unrelenting power. It was a dark place. A dark and ancient place.

"Do you think Ron is there yet," asked Hermione, just to break the silence.

"Probably, if he didn't got caught by his family," said Harry as his eyes moved around, by habit, searching for dangers.

"I would love to see him explaining that for Molly."

"I bet it would be easier than me when I got caught, my family is more attentive when it comes to the full moon."

"You got caught!" Harry nodded in apprehension and locked warningly on her. "You, the great war hero, the one who managed to break in to the ministry, Hogwarts and Gringotts. You got caught!"

"Yes," answered Harry grumpily.

"Who caught you? Your sister?" she asked teasingly.

"My mother and not a word," he said and glared at her.

"I would never dream about telling a soul" she said in a sincere voice. Harry locked in her eyes and groaned when he saw the mischief. _Ron is gonna find out in about two seconds, _he thought in exasperation.

Hermione gave of a beautiful laugh and bounced forwards among the shrubberies. Harry heard her hymning a tune and saw a glance of her carefree face before she yet again disappeared behind the foliage.

It was wonderful to see her so carefree. During the last months she had been so closed off and stressed. It hadn't been much left of the young naïve girl who had once entered the fairytale of the wizarding world. That had gone for all of them. It was they all had forgotten how too laugh or even how to enjoy simple things like a game of exploding snaps.

And then they had arrived to this world – were the war was so far away, as were the memories and expectations. Maybe in this world they would be able to be teenagers again. Or at least live without having to look over their shoulders all the time.

"Hey Harry! Wake up, the clearing is over there," shouted Hermione, waking Harry from his stupor. He lifted his gaze and saw the light among the threes. "Race you there," shouted Hermione and took of.

Harry couldn't help the smile which filled his face as he too took after her. Hermione had never been an athlete and was soon, despite having a head start, beaten by Harry. They entered a clearing and almost ran into Ron who abruptly stood and pointed his wand towards them.

"There you are! I was starting to think that I would have to be alone tonight," said Ron after they had gone through their normal safety routines. Harry noted his relieved voice and slightly tense posture.

"How long have you been waiting?" asked Harry.

"A half hour, I managed to floo here."

"Well we are here now," said Hermione and gave Ron a hug.

"Not a minute to early too," said Harry and while glancing to the sky. The too others followed his motion and raised their eyes to the darkening heaven.

The dusk had finally come and the forest turned a shadowy grey hue. The animals were silent, awaiting the new hunting interlude. The three teenagers stood close to each others, undisturbed by the fact that they were inside of a forest which housed some of the most dangerous beings in the world.

_This is just as when we did the ritual which brought us here__,_ remembered Harry and looked around. _The clearing is almost the same too. _It was strange, if he didn't know better it could have been the same place. That if they left the forest they would return to the world they just had rescued from Voldemort. They would tease Neville during one of his Herbology classes and help Susan, Terry and Blaise to reform the ministry. Maybe help Kreacher to get Grimmauld Place 12 in order.

"It is time," said Ron softly. Hermione and Harry quickly backed a few steps and watched unperturbed as Ron fell down on his knees. He gave a painful cry and started to convulse on the ground. Slowly his limbs grew long and slim. His red hair changed to a silver grey fur. Sharp claws dug into the ground when he cast his head back and gave of a bone chilling howl.

The werewolf Slypaw easily got up on his feet and immediately discovered Harry and Hermione. He barred his teeth and growled at them.

"Hey boy, nice to meet you again," said Harry calmly and slowly sat down; attentively watching the werewolf's every move. At his side Hermione mirrored his movements and too greeted the werewolf.

The werewolf whined a bit confused and sniffed in the air. Suddenly it gave of a happy howl and pounced at them. Immediately Harry and Hermione transformed to their animagus forms. Hermione's white owl gave of an indignantly hoot and flew up to a tree branch. Harry turned into one of his animagus forms – a large Shadow wolf.

They had become animagus after they had lost the battle of Hogwarts. It was Ron who had gotten the idea when they visited Remus's funeral. They would do it to honour the marauders who had been conquered at last. Not even the traitor remained – it was quite sad to think of how the group had ended. By become Animaguses the marauders legacy would continue. Minerva had helped them during what spare time she had from the Order. They had managed the transformation in just three months time, a remarkable feat.

Hermione was an owl, with quite the talent for glaring at Harry and Ron in a really exasperated way. Ron had been a fox, smart and clever, but he had been unable to transform ever since he was bitten. The presence of the werewolf wouldn't tolerate the presence of another animal.

Harry's animagus was different; he still remembered Minerva's gobsmacked expression when he told her that he sensed two animals within him. Apparently that had never happened before, still she told him to focus on one of them and he transformed to a wolf. And not any wolf – a shadow wolf.

A shadow wolf is able to mould the shadows to its will, bend them to hide him or transport him. A shadow wolf was also a magical creature, but by that time Minerva didn't even try to explain to them how utterly impossible it was for one to transform into a magical creature.

His second animal was a bit more difficult to transform into. While the wolf had taken the ascension to his mind and body quite well, his other form seemed unwilling. He couldn't grasp or make out the presence of his second form.

After awhile they figured that it depended on how similar he was to his forms and how much he was willing to let the form influence him. With the wolf, who belonged to shadows and darkness – he had no problem identifying with. His soul and mind had been so pained and twisted in despair and darkness at the time.

But with his other form something else was required and it wasn't until Luna of all people had managed to make him to find his way back again. With her help he managed to put the sorrow behind him and focus on his mission to protect the innocent from Voldemort. And it was then he managed to transform into his second form – a golden phoenix. Not so strange that he hadn't been able to transform into a creature of light when his thoughts never strayed from the darkness.

Traceless the Shadow wolf gingerly got up and sniffed the air and was immediately pounced on by an enthusiastic Slypaw. Wasting no time in fighting back Traceless tried to twist around and tug at the werewolf's ear.

The two canines rolled around in the mud, both trying to get the upper hand. It didn't take long before Traceless, despite his impressive size, was pressed to the ground with a growling werewolf at the top. Traceless whined in defeat and had his tail between his legs. The werewolf playfully tugged at his ears before letting go and happily bounced away in the woods.

Traceless lithely got up and followed the werewolf inside the bushes. The owl, whose name was Goldeye, rolled her eyes before spreading her wings and followed the two canines.

She couldn't find Traceless who had disappeared into the shadows but she found Slypaw stalking around a small pond, sniffing and whining. Feeling a bit mischievous she dived at the werewolf and pecked at his head.

Slypaw jumped high in the air when Goldeye swooped down. She tried a second time but this time he was ready and jumped up and snapped his jaws at the owl. Goldeye easily stayed clear from the sharp teeth and teasingly flew in circles above Slypaws head, always just out of reach.

In the next second a grey blur emerged from the shadows and slammed into the werewolf. Slypaw whined and fought back knowing that the only one who could sneak up on him was Traceless and then only when he used the shadows.

The wolf was quickly overpowered and jumped into the shadows and promptly disappeared. The werewolf growled and took up the chase. Occasionally he caught a glint of the wolf, flicking in and out of various shadows. But more often than not Traceless managed to ambush the werewolf before disappearing without a trace in the shadows again.

Eventually the sun rose over the forest, under a tree deep inside the forest rested three teenagers – exhausted after hours of rough playing in the night. The two boys were bruised and moved slowly to ease the pain in their muscles. Ron was the worst for wear, being totally exhausted from his werewolf transformation. He hardly managed to open his eyes when Harry and Hermione discussed the night's adventure.

"We were right," said Hermione in a self satisfied voice. "We transformed in the part of the forest situated on Hogwarts grounds and the tracker didn't register anything – no letters!"

"It's good to be able to use magic again, I have never really thought much about it but we have been so used to use magic whenever we want without restrictions."

"Mmm feel great to turn into Goldeye again."

"Speak for yourself," muttered Ron sluggishly from his spot on the ground.

"I wonder… we didn't thought about it, but what if these bodies hadn't been able to turn into our animagus forms. I mean Ron's wolf still recognized us as his pack, but a werewolf plays quite rough, we could have been maimed or become werewolf's ourselves," said Harry as he played with his wand, transfiguring pebbles into buttons just to be able to use magic.

"I don't think that would have happened, the wolf starts to understands you now. He knows that you are much more fragile than a wolf. Besides you could have used magic, if not on the wolf but on yourselves."

Harry nodded and carefully leaned against Ron's shoulder. Ron breathed heavily and Harry thought that he was on the verge of falling asleep. _It's very tempting_ he thought and closed his eyes. The forest was so peaceful in the morning sun.

He didn't get to sleep though because Hermione decided it was her turn to be the responsible one.

"Okay get up, we need to get back before someone notice we have been gone. Come on, get up!" she screamed and poked on them.

Harry moaned in pain and hastily got up when she touched his side were the werewolf had hurled him against a tree trunk during the night excursion.

"Okay I'm coming," he said while massaging his side. "How are we going to get there?" he said, nodding towards Ron who had yet to move from the spot he had transformed back on.

Back in their own world they had always rested a full day after a full moon. The two of them nursing Ron back to health. He was always exhausted after the full moon, not to mention the bruises from the brawls with Harry and just general stiffness from having his limbs being stretched out.

"We can use portkeys, if I make them inside the forest it won't be discovered," said Hermione and drawing her wand. With out further ceremony she created three portkeys.

"Okay, which is which?" asked Harry, staring at the stone, stick and pen on the ground.

"The stone goes to Ron's room, the stick goes to your street, I couldn't the coordinates to your room and the pen goes to my room. Just touch them with your wand, I made them untraceable, not even Dumbledore could trace these."

"Okay, let's get Ron on his way first," said Harry and hoisted Ron up. Ron's legs buckled under him and he leaned heavily at Harry.

"Do you think he will make it?"

"I don't know, hey Ron Hermione have made a portkey, you think you can touch it."

"Screw portkeys, just wanna sleep," muttered Ron drowsily from Harry's shoulder. Harry exchanged a glance, which balanced between exasperation and fondness, with Hermione.

"Maybe you should follow with him and make sure he comes to bed," said Hermione unsure.

"Can I do that!"

"Sure, just make sure you have your own portkey with you," said Hermione in a confident voice, if it was anything Hermione knew it was portkeys and wards.

"Okay, I'll make sure Ron gets to bed." He put the stick in his pocket and took the stone in his hand. "Okay you'll have to stand on your own now Ron," said Harry and let go of his boyfriend. Ron stumbled and slouched but remained standing – still half asleep.

Harry tapped the stone with his wand; the stone glowered and remained floating in the air. "Okay Ron, just touch it."

They both touched the stone and Harry felt the familiar jerk over his navel. The usual unpleasant feeling of a hook above his navel followed. A second later they arrived in Ron's bright orange bedroom. Ron fell unceremoniously in a heap on the floor.

Harry sighed and dragged him to the bed, when Ron was safely tucked in Harry prepared to leave. He kissed Ron's hair and touched the portkey with his wand. Just as he portkeyed out from the room some one knocked on the door.

_Time too wake up Ronald__, _he thought with equal part pity and amusement. Poor Ron.

He landed outside the house and quickly went inside. Unnoticed he went upstairs and crept to bed – determined not to wake up for a millennia or two.

Just as he had put his head on his pillow a bright voice was heard outside his door.

"Rise and shine, breakfast in ten," Lily's cheerful voice echoed in the stairs as she repeated the words outside Rose's door.

Harry groaned and buried himself deep under the pillow.


	7. Harry's birthday party

**Dead feather: **I decided that the lycanthropy transferred here because I recon that part of the curse affecting the mind and soul – not only the body. And for using the wands, in cannon they were never able to use their wands no matter where they were. For example when Fred and George had come of age they were apparating all the time because they had been unable to do it before.

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They were all gathered around the kitchen table when their Hogwarts letters arrived. The proud looking owls had barely landed at the table before Rose snatched her letter and skimmed through it. The owl gave her a resigned look and took off. The second owl stuck out his legs to Harry and he removed it.

He vaguely remembered his grades from his fourth year and curiously skimmed trough the letter. The further he read the more he frowned.

Having parents alive and live in a normal family was still a bit new to Harry. Especially having to sit down and discuss bad grades was a new experience for the twenty years old war hero.

"Well," said James, breaking the uncomfortable silence, the letter from Hogwarts on the table in front of them, Lily sat beside James with a disappointed face. Somehow it reminded Harry of those interrogations they had with suspected death eaters.

Lily took up the letter and said hesitantly. "The history of magic is not so bad… you got an E there."

Harry sighted, looking every bit as the thirteen year old boy he was supposed to play. He had looked at his grades before Rose had snatched them from him. He only had two E – and that was in History of Magic and Astronomy. Never in his old world had he had so bad grades.

"But he failed Defence and Transfiguration!" said James in a tired voice.

"I got Outstanding in those two," said Rose in a gloating voice. She stood beside her parents and took obviously great delight in seeing Harry being chastised about his grades. In that moment she strongly reminded Harry about Dudley, thankfully for Rose – Harry-tormenting was the only thing they had in common.

"That's great honey, but now we are talking about Harry's grades and if you don't have anything useful to say you can go," said Lily, for once not interested in her daughter. Rose huffed something that sounded like an insult and skipped out of the room.

"Now Harry, you remember the talk we had last year about your grades?" asked James and looked at Harry expectantly.

"Um you said something about getting them better?" said Harry, having no idea what they were talking about and making up as he went.

"Well that's the gist of it," said James wryly. "But we said if you had one single fail this year we would sign you up for remedial classes. You have two, and barely make it in three others."

"I know that the grades are bad, I know that I can do better," promised Harry and put on a serious face.

"You said that last year, and you promised that your grades would be better, but they didn't. Why would this year be any different?"

"Well last year was a bit rough for me, I really couldn't focus on my studies. But now I have solved what disturbed me and I'm sure that I will manage better this year."

They didn't look convinced but they did look surprised at his words. They had expected him to cry and scream in refusal at their decision. He did neither and calmly defended himself.

Harry noticed their bewilderment and gave them a sad smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Besides I've got two friends this year that can help me with the home works. Can't you give me another chance; I promise I'll be better."

Lily and James were silent for a while before Lily spoke.

"You have promised things like this before Harry. You know sometimes you must do what you promise too. But you seems sincere now," she trailed of uncertainly. Actually he seemed so sincere that they were a bit taken back of how mature and old he acted. Somehow, none of his facial expression or words fitted his young face, and it was this which spurred Lily Potter to give him yet another chance. "You get two month, then we will contact Mc Gonagall and she'll tell how you do. If you don't have an acceptable in every subject you'll take remedial classes with the third years," she finished imposingly.

On the outside he showed no reaction, but on the inside he winced in self pity. Even though he was an adult and still felt a bit detached from this life – redoing his third year together with younger students was humiliation he never hoped he would experience; especially when he probably was better in some of the subject than the teachers themselves.

"Yes I understand may I leave know?" he asked politely. They nodded yet again surprised by his sudden behaviour.

**The burrow **

Ron sat at the kitchen table and watched silently as if he wasn't really with them in the room. They had got their Hogwarts letters this morning; which of course had started the chaos that now ruled the room.

Fred and George were getting a scolding from Molly because their low grades, amazingly they had gotten identical results. Molly wasn't impressed though, she still had hopes that they would attempt a career in the ministry like Arthur and Percy.

Ah Percy, Ron shook his head at his older brother who sat at the far end at the table, rambling about cauldron thickness, seemingly unaware of that no one was listening. No one in the family had never seemed to understand or even tolerated Percy's ambitions; maybe they had been too Slytherin for the Gryffindor oriented family. But Ron knew that Percy loved his family and he had proved himself at the battle of Hogwarts and that he had been their most important spy within the ministry during the years to follow.

That was why Ron managed to engage himself in Percy's work this summer. He was the only one who would listen to Percy's dedicated words without sarcastic comments or patronising. Strangely he found that they agreed a lot, Percy was actually quite perspective and sharp, once you got past his pedantic side and blindingly trust in authority. Ron had set himself to cure him from that as soon as possible.

When Ginny and the twins were out playing or visiting friends, Ron and Percy would sit and talk. Percy opened up a lot to Ron, glad to have someone genuinely care about his dreams and ambitions. Ron had slowly started to open Percy's eyes on the faults of the ministry and these last days their discussions had lacked the normal inputs about cauldron thickness.

Ginny had gotten good grades and Molly had gushed over her with tears in her eyes rambling about how she was the next prefect in the family. Ron sighed; no one had asked him about his grades. As usual he was forgotten by his large family, showered to the background by his more dynamic and loud relatives. Normally he couldn't care less but it did bring forward memories from a time when he had been younger and much more insecure in himself.

But maybe it was for the best, he had read his grades and they were not so good. _I'm actually quite ashamed over my counterpart, it should be impossible to be this dense. _His grades had never been especially high but he had been average, just like Harry. The grades he was now holding, or rather his counterparts grades, were just disgraceful. How had he managed to fail three subjects!

Molly seemed to have no more praise to pour over her only daughter and turned to the last letter on the table. The twins exchanged grins and started to edge towards the stairs and escape. They had noticed Ron's dismayed look as he found out his grades and had correctly deducted that it would provide the perfect distraction for their mother.

Their escape would have worked if a paper hadn't fallen out from Fred's pocket. Molly's eyes had immediately zoomed in on the paper and asked in a dangerous voice.

"What is that?"

George scooped up the paper and held it far away from his mothers reach.

"Oh this?... nothing special…"

"…Just a booklist Mc Gonagall recommended for us…"

"…You know; to catch up before the new school year…"

"…Yeah, a lot of study to do, you probably won't see us too much this summer..."

Ginny snatched the paper from behind George's back when they tried to disappear out trough the door.

"That was a strange booklist I didn't know that you were behind in subjects that required books like _101 ways to transfigure various body parts,_" she said in an innocent voice.

Molly took it from Ginny and skimmed through it, becoming redder and redder. George mouthed traitor at Ginny who smiled sweetly back.

"That's what you get for saying I'm too little for pranking."

"Oh you can forget ever join us in our pranking now little backstabber."

"Hey I'm just disposing unwanted competition."

"Unwanted competition?" said Fred before gaping in sudden understanding.

"You sneaky little…" started George but he didn't get further as Molly had finished reading the list and rounded on them.

"What. Is. This?"

"Umm extra curricular activity?" offered Fred meekly.

"WEASLEY WIZARD WHEEZES! I SAID THAT I DIDN'T WANT ANYMORE OF THIS PRANKING STUFF, YOU SHOULD BE CONCENTRATING ON SCHOOL INSTEAD OF WASTING YOUR TIME GOOFING AROUND!" She stopped and took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving the twins. She seemed to gain several inches in height as she towered over Fred and George and continued her next tirade.

By then Ron was already on his way out through the door. His grades lay forgotten on the kitchen table. Later, when the commotion had died down she would probably remember it and it would be his turn to face the music.

He continued out in the garden and rounded a corner to get away from the shouting. He sat down against a tree. He wasn't surprised when Percy plopped down beside him a few seconds later.

"So I guess it will be your turn when she is finished with the twins," he said sympathetic.

Ron nodded glumly and looked out over the fields.

"You know that grades aren't the most important thing, more often you need brain and ambitions to get a job. You need to be willing to work hard if you want to be someone. "

Ron turned to Percy and lifted an eyebrow, "So you are telling me that I can just flunk my grades and I'll still be someone," he asked amusedly.

Percy looked mortified at the very thought and quickly continued.

"No no, grades are important, but maybe not these grades, it's the OWL and NEWT's you need to do good in, the others don't really matter," he said and added quickly. "You still need to learn things, otherwise you won't be able to pass the OWL, but I wouldn't worry to much about your lousy grades."

"How did you know that they were lousy?"

"Your face when you read them, you looked like you had swallow an flobberworms."

"How observant of you, I thought you were absorbed in the rapport of cauldron thickness."

"Hey seize the smart remarks, I'll have you know that I am very observant of what's going on, that's the easiest way of climb the success ladder."

Ron was immediately interested, during these past weeks he had slowly understood that Percy was really sly and cunning – and above all else ambitious.

"What do you mean?"

"The ministry is the powerbase of the magical world but the real power belongs to the bureaucrats.."

_...and those with to much money and to little conscience, _thought Ron darkly, remembering Lucius Malfoy's iron grip on the Fudge administration.

"..You have to know the right people, find ways to get information before anyone else, know who can be bribed and stay clear from those who have skeletons in their wardrobe – lest they will drag you with them."

"Oh that seems pretty complicated… I wonder… Can't you teach me all that, how it works in the ministry, power block and loyalties."

"Why would you want to know? Interested in a career in the ministry?"

"Not really in the ministry but maybe in politics."

Percy's first reaction was to laugh but then he seemed to think better of it. If his little brother had ambitions then he should encourage him. After all he knew how it felt to have no support to reach your dreams. And beside, Percy thought as he seemed to evaluate his brother. Ron had seemed so mature these past weeks, something had changed him. No one else had noticed, but Ron Weasley was no longer a child, sometimes he seemed even older than Percy in the matter of wisdom and experience.

"Well then I think you'll need all the help you can get," he offered his hand to Ron who shook it, Percy smiled and said in an pompous voice, strangely sounding like the twins imitation of Percy's pompous voice. "Well then apprentice, I'll teach you the way thorough the endless maze that is the ministry's corridors and regulations."

**Mile road 49**

"Oh Hermione, it's amazing, you've got seven…outstandings?"

"Yes, I'm a bit disappointed though, I didn't get as many as I had hoped for," answered Hermione looking at the grades, they were a bit lower than in her original third year.

"Maybe you shouldn't have taken so many courses then, it seems it got a bit too much for you this year, you didn't even have time to write a letter home."

"Oh I am sorry, I guess it was a bit too much for a while there," said Hermione, remembering her stressful third year. It seemed that the Hermione in this dimension had taken all the classes too. She had even finished divination (Hermione suspected that it was because that Hermione didn't have the nerve to quit it). It had come with a prize though; she had apparently been suspended to the hospital wing the moment the exams had ended due to stress. McGonagall had sent a note with her Hogwarts letter, informing her that she wouldn't allow her to continue with all the courses, claiming that the workload was too much. Hermione silently agreed.

She reached for another cookie on the table and closed her eyes at the sweet taste. _How long had it been since I had mum's home made cookies?_

"I really love these cookies, it feels like years since I had them last." Her mother smiled at the praise and was about to answer when a sullen voice interrupted them from across the table.

"What! Can't get cookies in that amazing school of yours, it's magic is it not, why don't you just wave your wand and make cookies or doesn't magic work like that," Hermione resisted the urge to close her eyes and turned and gave her sister a patient smile.

Her sister, Jeanne, had an ugly expression on her face and her arms crossed over her chest. When Hermione had first found out that she had a younger sister she had been confused, not really sure how to react. Later she had settled for how her boyfriends had decided to deal with similar situations – treat them like acquaintances.

Hermione was thankful for that decision, especially when he discovered what her sister really thought of her. Jeanne seemed to hate her sister, and more over, she seemed to hate magic. She could never stand the mention of the magical world, words like Daily Prophet and Quidditch would send her into a foul mood for hours. The Granger household treated Jeanne as if she would blow up at any second, which made for a very tense atmosphere. She suddenly understood how Harry must have felt all those summers at Dursley.

She had tried to avoid the subject altogether, it was easy seeing as her parents seemed affected by Jeanne and rather than experience Jeanne's bad mood they proceeded to ignore that their daughter was a witch altogether.

It was a bit disappointing because her old parents had always taken great interest in the world their daughter had joined. Even if they hadn't been able to join her they had always engaged themselves in what happened – they even had a subscription on the Daily Prophet.

But today when the exam results had arrived they hadn't been able to ignore it. Mr and Mrs Granger, both academics, were very interested in their daughters schooling – be it normal or magical. So they went straight ahead to congratulate her. Jeanne seemed to be able to handle it for about four minutes before storming.

Hermione sighed and slowly followed her, she found her in her room. She knocked once and opened a crack in the door.

"May I come in?"

"If I say no you'll just take your wand and blow the door off its hinges." Was the moodily response. Hermione went inside and found her sister sitting on the windowsill.

"Not really, I am not allowed to use my wand outside of school, ministry regulations." Jeanne just huffed and turned her gaze back to the window.

_Was I that angsty when I was 13?,_ she mused silently to herself as she studied her sister. Jeanne was really the model picture of a teenager – angsty and rebellious, with mood swings that turned faster than a hippogriffs.

"Why did you become a witch?" Jeanne said suddenly forcing Hermione's musings short. "Why you and not me?"

_Uh oh she's jealous of me, this might be tricky._

"I don't know, it just is, but I'll have you know that this world is exactly like yours."

"Somehow I don't believe you, I have never seen any werewolves downtown or flying broomsticks during PE." Was the sarcastic remark.

"What I mean is that wizard and witches are just like normal people, and once you get used to the magic, and trust me you will, all their faults and humanity will shine through. Most wizards are quite narrow-minded and bigoted bunch. You soon grow tired with them."

Again a snort.

"But you know, just because you're not magical doesn't mean you can't be a part of our world. You can read books, visit the Diagon alley and you can even brew potions, I can ask a friend to teach you."

"I thought you didn't had friends at that freak school of yours."

Hermione's heart clenched at the hated word. She had had it directed at her self many times, but she had always been able to retaliate. Not now though, not now when the perpetrator was her younger "sister".

_I'm the adult here, I can handle this, _she thought and said truthfully, "At first I didn't but I've got two of the most loyal friends in the world now."

"Good for you, now I'm quite bored of hearing about your pretty little fairytale. Get out."

Hermione sighed but recognized a losing battle when she saw one, but she hadn't lost the war and she would be damned if she allowed jealousy to get hold of the sister she never had.

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July 31 arrived and Harry celebrated his twenty-first birthday, or rather his fourteenth birthday. He and Rose had been woken up in the morning and were allowed to wish for anything they wanted for breakfast.

The rest of the day was spent in eager anticipation for the party in the afternoon. James and Rose had managed to hang up a large banner in the living room. Written in bright letters was: HAPPY 14th BIRTHDAY ROSE! Harry had frowned when he saw it, knowing fully well that it was his birthday too. It wasn't until he went to the other side, the side that was almost completely obscured by the wall, that he saw the same message but with his name.

The guests arrived and Harry was thrown headfirst into a crowd of people who had known him for years, while he barely had any idea who they were. Luckily for him it seemed that most people was only greeted him quickly then proceeded to the food or the other guests, the second the last guest had been welcomed Harry was forgotten.

Not that he really minded of course, in fact he was quite because it meant that he didn't have to smile to complete strangers. Walking around the party he noticed Rose, Neville, Matthew and Ginny – sitting close to each other. A few steps behind them talked Frank Longbottom to James and Sirius.

Harry sighed and gave a lame smile to Lily who gave him a concerned look before turning back to talk to Sirius's wife Talia. He really wished that Ron and Hermione could be here with him. The normal ache for them seemed to come ten fold when he was surrounded in a happy crowd. _How can you feel so utterly lonely in a room filled with people? _he mirthlessly asked himself.

They hadn't been able to find a way to safely invite Hermione, seeing as she was not yet a friend of Harry – at least not officially. Ron, well that was another story. He had invited him but he hadn't come, he wasn't sure what had happened. When he had asked Ginny (Ron's impression of her had been quite spot on by the way) he learned that Ron was grounded, how he ever managed to do that, not that it mattered though, Ron wasn't here and Harry spent his 14th/ 21st alone – despite the fact that he was in a crowded room.

"Harry!" someone called from the other side of the room and Harry smiled when he saw Remus. He seemed to be a bit hunched but that could as well be from stress at work and not necessarily a werewolf transformation. Most people would not think any of it, but Harry was used to pinpoint the symptoms from lycanthropy, he had helped Ron recover from the full moon many times in the past.

"Hello Remus, you came!" he said enthusiastic, for once revealing true feelings and not projections.

"Of course, it wouldn't do for me to miss my godson's birthday," Remus said with a smile.

Harry let his gaze roam over Remus searching for the signs of a full moon. He didn't want to broach the subject, seeing how tense their relationship had been a few weeks ago. He wanted to ask him how he felt but deemed the question insensitive.

Instead he brought up the world cup and they got into a discussion on all the different nationalities that would be present. Several times Harry got so caught up in their conversation that he failed to notice that he managed to surprise Remus with his peculiar knowledge of exclusively details. Like the fact that the Goblins had a betting pool or that the Bulgarian minister of magic did indeed speak English.

In hindsight he should have suspected that something was bound to happen, they were still marauders after all. But for some reason his subconscious had deemed James, Sirius and Remus as adults, and adults didn't play pranks. He wouldn't do that mistake again.

It all happened when the presents were brought in; two large piles were put in front of Harry and Rose. Rose giggled in glee and rubbed her hands in an evil villain type way before attacking her pile. Harry followed her in a bit calm pace; he had his dignity as an adult to protect, even though all present were unaware of the fact that it was his 21st birthday.

But before she could start with the first gift, James grabbed her and spun her around.

"Not so fast princess, we have a schedule to follow," he said in a laughing voice and he steered her towards a huge present standing on the floor.

With a smile Remus nudged Harry to follow them and he came to stand beside Rose.

"Okay, go on open it, it's for the two of you." Rose sprinted forward and the second she touched the pink wrapping several things happened at the same time. The present exploded in a show of purple smoke and fireworks. Harry who felt his insides churn with memories from past attacks reacted instantly – grabbed Rose and pulled her towards cover. He covered her with his body and looked up. No one except Remus, who watched him with narrowed eyes, had noticed his slightly paranoid reaction as everybody was laughing at a clown-dressed Sirius who was wailing at the floor.

"Ahhrg my legs, I've got cramp in my legs, I can't move!"

"Honestly, Sirius the things you get up to the moment I turn my back on you," said his wife exasperated but with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"It was going to be a surprise; you know what they do in muggle parties."

"Brilliant Sirius, you were just supposed to jump out of the box and you failed," James said sarcastically.

"I was stuck in that box too long; my legs stopped working, Prongs why did you take so long," he whined.

"Oh I don't know, quite curious how you would manage to do anything right after thirty minutes in a box."

"Sadist!"

Harry forced himself to laugh with everyone else as Sirius let out another pitiful moan. He forced away the memories from another package that had exploded upon touch, but whose after-effect had involved a little more blood – and injuries.

Yes, in hindsight he should have known that something was going to happen and he had been through a war, he really shouldn't have been startled. In his defence he could say that he never had any experience with clown-dressed godfathers bursting out from boxes, prepared to sing happy birthday to you in a really false voice while spraying the victims with Never Fading Confetti.

But he had saved him and Rose from Sirius landing on them.

After the drama had subsided they returned to the gift opening. Rose unwrapped a firebolt, a pair of chaser gloves, a box of Dr Filibuster's fabulous wet-start, no-heat fireworks, a gift card at Glinda Galant's clothes for girls, a diary (Harry made a mental note to check it for unwelcome soul fragments), exploding cards, Bertie Bott's every flavoured beans, nose-biting teacups, a book called a _Handbook in Pranking – the Muggle Way_, a fanged Frisbee and a cluedo game were the pieces really ran around murdering each other.

"Why do get the feeling that you won't be doing to much homework this year," sighed Lily as he looked at the many pranking items in Rose's pile.

"Face it Lily we are never going to get a prefect in this family, Rose is too delinquent," said James.

"How about Harry then, he isn't into rule breaking like Rose, wouldn't he make a fine prefect," said Remus and Harry gave him a small smile.

"Well maybe, but I don't think Harry have the confidence to be a leader. The prefects must be authoritative and be able to stand up for the younger kids. Harry still has a bit to go."

Remus narrowed his eyes at their obvious low confidence in their son and he sends a comforting look at Harry. Harry wasn't overly upset though, it wasn't as they were talking about him and besides there was only two persons in the world whose opinions mattered to him – and they weren't Lily and James Potter.

Harry looked over his own presents, there was _Grupe's History of Magical Britain_ (a thousand pages thick tome that Hermione would have loved), a Remembrall, a ten thousand pieces puzzle depicting a night sky, a set of gobstones, a green dress robe with silver trimmings ("Arrgh my eyes, Slytherin colours, its burning!" had Sirius been shouting before his wife had poured a bucket of water over him) and more puzzles and books.

Harry thought that Hermione might appreciate the book _Wizarding customs and traditions_ and he promised himself that he at least would try to read _Ministry of magic – structure and workings_. It was always good to know how that corrupt, bigoted ensemble of ignorance worked, though he still didn't know who would give a book on politics to a fourteen year old boy.

"Now for my gift," said Remus and leaned behind the sofa and brought forward the hidden object. Harry had of course already seen it, he wasn't about to let unidentified objects be, but after a closer examination he had deemed it none threatening.

"It's nothing special, I just wanted to give you something."

"It doesn't matter, the important is that you are here and put time on finding anything," said Harry with a smile and accepted the large thing. This time he did notice the adults startled looks at his maturity.

He removed the cloak, simultaneously removing the secrecy charms, and found a cage. A cage harbouring a snowy white owl.

Harry became very still, preventing himself in the last second not to gape like a fish at the owl. It was Hedwig. He felt joy welling up inside him at seeing his oldest friend.

"I brought her from the Eeylops owl emporium yesterday. She was cheap because she hadn't accepted any owner before. I thought that you maybe could win her trust." Remus explained quickly when he saw Harry's chocked expression and mistook it for disappointment.

"She is really beautiful," whispered Harry and started to unlock the cage.

"I wouldn't do that without gloves Harry," warned Remus. "The shop owner said that she used to attack and claw at everyone who tried to touch her."

Harry paid him no attention, just continued to open the cage.

The owl turned her head around and glared at him hard. Harry almost felt as she assessed him, seeing if he was worthy.

"Hello there girl, it's nice to meet you. Would you come out," he cooed in a low voice and offered her his arm.

After a while of staring she seemed to deem him worthy and slowly went to sit on his arm. Harry practically beamed that she had accepted him and stroke her softly on her neck feathers.

"I think you and I will be great friends," he murmured to her.

Around him were his family staring disbelievingly at the scene.

"What in the world, the shop owner said that she had been in his shop for four years, not a single one of her owners had been able to touch her let alone tying a letter to her."

"They didn't respect her. She is no ordinary post owl, she is a companion and a friend. They never understood that," said Harry softly. He turned towards Remus and gave him a spontaneous hug. The owl hooted in distress over being forced so close upon one not her new master.

Remus was quite surprised but quickly returned the hug.

"Thank you Remus, it was the best present ever!"

"Why thank you, glad you liked the extremely expensive four dimensional puzzle" muttered James.

The godson and godfather ignored him. "I'm glad you liked it, and I expect many letters from you now," said Remus.

"Sure, it's nice to have some one to write to."

"Hey I would also love some letters," shouted Lily from the other side of the room.

Harry smiled and got away from Remus he turned to a disgruntled owl.

"Sorry girl, I was just so happy that you were mine," he said in an apologising voice. She hooted a bit more happily to show that he was forgiven.

"Can I try to hold her?" asked Rose and extended her hand to touch the white owl. The effect was instantaneous, the owl hooted angrily and picked after Rose's hands. Se quickly drew back and glared at the owl.

"She attacked me!" she said in affronted voice.

"Well it seems that she is Harry's owl and Harry's alone," said Sirius and took a step closer to the boy and the owl. The owl immediately spread her wings in an attempt to look bigger and actually hissed at him. Sirius immediately raised his hands in a peaceful gesture and backed a few steps. "Whoa, sorry Miss owl."

"Well it's gonna be interesting when she delivers letter if she doesn't trust anyone besides Harry," said Remus in a bemused voice.

"I bet she is gonna dispose of the letters in the fire or something other maliciously," grumbled Rose and glared suspiciously at the owl.

"I think she is gonna be a terrific post owl," said Harry confidently, defending his friend who had looked very insulted at their words.

"Never send her to me; I could do without the scars thank you very much. I don't like that owl," said Rose and to prove her point she held out her hand towards the owl. The owl hooted angrily and walked over Harry's neck and settled on his left shoulder – as far away from Rose as possible.

"It seems like the feelings are mutual," said Lily in wonderment.

"Why do I get the feeling that our home will become a war zone soon. Daughter versus owl." Everybody sniggered at James remark.

"I'm gonna show her my room," said Harry and took as many presents in his hand as he could manage.

"Don't forget the cage," said Lily and pushed it in his arms. "I don't want owl poo and feathers all around the house."

Harry didn't say anything as he accepted the cage, but he didn't missed his new owl's disdained look at the cage.

When he entered his room, she left his shoulder and flew up to the to the book case. She watched the room and turned to look at him, or rather glared at him and the cage in his hands. Her look seemed to say "There is no way that you're gonna put me in that cage!"

"You don't need a cage, don't you? You are far too intelligent for such things. Maybe I should get you a perch instead." He recalled the golden perch Fawkes had in Dumbledore's office and decided to get one for Hedwig, but maybe minus the gold. He put the cage in the wardrobe and she hooted approvingly.

He lifted his arm in a welcoming gesture and she sailed down to his shoulder. He stroke her white feathers fondly. "So my lady, what should I call you, are you still Hedwig? You know, I knew an owl exactly like you from were I come from" She turned her head questionly to the side and Harry found himself telling her his entire life story. She seemed strangely understanding and when he came to the part where she had died in the escape from Privet Drive, she nibbled him comfortingly on his ear.

He felt tears well up inside of him, it was the same gesture his old Hedwig used to do when he felt sad.

"She was my first friend and my only friend during those horrid summer months." He rubbed his tears away and gave her a small smile. "So may I call you Hedwig"

She hooted in approval and Harry smiled, glad to have found a friend.

"So are you ready for your first mission?" Again she hooted in affirmative. He set out to find some parchment and a quill. _I really need to borrow paper and pencils from Mione, using parchments and quills are just ridiculous!_

He smiled to himself; Hermione had said the exact sentiment during the war. She was the one administering their paper work and she had gone ballistic from the medieval methods. From that day, everybody in the DA used muggle stationary.

They had even taken it one step further when they started to use mobile phones. It had been hilarious to teach purebloods like Ron and Neville to use the phones without messing up. It had taken some time; Neville had even become slightly addictive to texting afterwards.

He finished one letter to Ron and one to Hermione and attached them to Hedwig's leg and took her to the window, while instructing her.

"None of them have an own owl so it would be great if you could wait for a response. Oh and please be nice to them. They are the most important people in the world to me, and I would hate for them to get their hands clawed at."

She hooted a bit affronted and he apologised as he opened the window. She spread her wings as she sailed away over the forest.

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In the next chapter they are going to Diagon Alley, they are going to get new wands but I have no idea what the wood and cores are going to be. Any suggestions?


	8. Diagon Alley

Thank you so much all of you have given reviews! The story goes forward thanks to you.

Also thank you for all the suggestions of wand cores, I took many under consideration but when I started to write it seems like my muse took control and I had no choice but to obey.

I have been adding a new element to the story since I posted the first chapters, so the chapter two and three, I think, have gotten new parts added. I try to avoid Mary Sue but with Ron, Hermione and Harry being who they are its quite difficult sometime.

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Diagon alley, Harry discovered, looked exactly the same as it had done when he had seen it for the first time. When he was eleven years old he had simply been amazed by the bustling street and the magical and unbelievable people and objects. This time he was amazed for another reason entirely.

_I can't believe it, it's like the war has never happened__, _he thought as he stared amazed at Flourish & Blotts who stood proudly in the middle of the alley. Not burned down or decorated with rotting corpses. _Of course, the war has never happened here,_ he continued as he let his gaze roam over the rest of the shops.

He had been in the alley several times during the war; no one had bothered to repair the houses, seeing as everybody was on the run. And those shops that were being repaired were almost always targeted the moment they were finished, if they hadn't been sanctioned by the Death eaters of course. (Although those shops that **had** been sanctioned by Death Eaters were quickly attacked by the Army) He hadn't been in the alley after the war so he had never seen if they had started the repairs yet. Never mind; it was nice to see the alley in all its glory.

"Harry…Harry!" he was brought out of his musings when the voice of Lily Potter descended on him.

"Yes mum," he asked as he offered her a cheerful smile.

"We were talking about going to Flourish & Blotts and buy your school books"

"Okay," he said and looked around, he saw James standing alone at Quality Quidditch supplies. It looked quite funny, seeing a middle aged man gawking through the window, surrounded by first and second years. But instead of smiling Harry frowned when he couldn't see Rose anywhere. He made a point of always keep track of all the members of his team and he had been sure that Rose had gone with James to the Quidditch store.

"Where is Rose?" he asked out loud, a tiny bit of apprehension in his voice. Lily caught this and searched the street a bit of worry transferred to her from Harry.

"I don't know, hey James, act your age and get over here!" she shouted and waved at James who sprinted towards them.

"What can I do for you fair lady?" he said gallantly.

"Have you seen Rose, I was under the impression that you would look after her and I would look after Harry."

_As if any of us needs looking after__,_ thought Harry in exasperation.

"Sure, she met Ginny and they left for Gambol and Japes."

"Well then I guess its okay, quite a coincident that the Weasley's would be here at the same day as us."

Harry snorted amusedly but luckily no one noticed. _Hardly a coincident. _After two weeks of subtle hints and persuasion he had convinced his family to carry out their school shopping today and Ron and Hermione had done the same.

"If Rose gets to do her shopping on her own I want to!" he mentally winced when he sounded like a whining kid.

"But she isn't doing it on her own, I am also pretty sure that Mrs Weasley will be looking after them."

"But I won't be on my own, if the Weasley's are here, then Ron should be here and I wanna talk to him."

"Eh let him go Lily, our little baby boy is starting to grow up. You are starting to act like a real teenager now son," said James in a cheerful voice as he ruffled Harry's hair.

"But what if he get lost again…"

"That won't happen…right Harry?"

"No sire," said Harry and did a salute.

"Okay, but if you get lost try to get back to the Leaky Cauldron or ask one of the shop owners for help. If someone offering you something; don't accept it and never follow unknown people into dark alleys. Do you have our floo address written down somewhere?" fretted Lily as James pushed a few Galleons in Harry's pocket, unaware of the fact that Harry had his pockets filled with money.

"Yes and yes, I will be fine mother," said Harry to end her mothering that really started to bother him.

"Okay, have a nice time son, and stay clear from Knockturn alley," winked James.

"James! Don't give him any ideas!" screamed Lily appalled. Harry took their moment of inattention and escaped.

"Don't worry Lily flower he will be fine,"

"You said that last time, and look what happened! But if the aurors come and says that Harry is stuck inside a cursed dollhouse it will be you who deals with it! I had enough last time!"

Meanwhile Harry darted towards the Leaky Cauldron while glancing at his watch. _Points to me, I managed to dump them in exactly one minute and fourteen seconds._

The Leaky Cauldron looked the same and he quickly went over to the guest toilets. The toilets were quite dirty and as he had learned when he stayed here the summer before his third year, the plumbing was unreliable. All in all the mixture of suspicious blood red stains, a colony of flobberworms in the toilet paper and toilet fountains that would have made Moaning Myrtle proud, made sure that no one ever visited the public toilets in the Leaky Cauldron.

He entered the toilets and his memories seemed accurate for this dimension too. It was the same as he remembered, except for a deep hole in the floor. Striding towards the back of the room he knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" he heard Ron's voice.

"It's me."

"Who was leading the Willeighs assault?"

"Neville, what was inside the snitch?"

"The resurrection stone…damn what are we going to **do** with the resurrection stone?" The door was opened and Ron stepped out.

They immediately embraced each other and Ron gave Harry a forceful kiss on the lips. Harry sighed happily and leaned against Ron, feeling Ron's scrawny body against his.

"Not the most romantic place for a date," he whispered when they had to break apart for air.

"No, but it doesn't matter, I only see, feel, hear and smell you," answered Ron and kissed Harry's neck. They were forced to break apart when they heard a noise at the door and they swirled around and pointed their wands at a muggle dressed Hermione.

"Hello, what does S.P.E.W stand for?" she asked in a cheerful voice.

"The Society for Protection of Elfish Welfare," answered Ron with a smirk as he let go of Harry.

"Hermione what would be worse than being killed by a three headed dog?" asked Harry, Hermione blushed but answered.

"Expulsion."

"Too true," said Ron and gave her a hug and a kiss.

"Not the most romantic place for a date," said Hermione after they had broken apart.

"Not you too, that's the exact thing Harry said, it **is** the only place we could meet in," groaned Ron as he stepped aside to allow Harry to give Hermione a hug.

They talked for a few minutes to catch up on what had happened since they last met. Harry described his birthday party while Ron and Hermione mostly had ranted about their families.

"Do you have it?" asked Harry Hermione after he had counted their joined savings; they had managed to amass sixty-two galleons (a/n about 310 pounds). Most of the money came from Harry who had found a piggy bank, or rather a Dragon bank, behind his desk. The little dragon had had a simple anti-theft charm on it, but without magic he had been forced to guess the password. The little green and pink dragon had breathed fire at him for forty-five minutes before he managed to guess the right word (it was Gryffindor, and Harry suspected that Rose had cracked the password years ago).

Hermione fished up three bottles filled with some orange coloured potion in them.

"Yes, took me three tries but I finally managed to brew an aging potion."

"I got the robes, Arthur's old ones, he won't miss them," said Ron as he pulled out three black robes from a bag. They were quite worn and dirty but that was ideally if you wanted to melt in in the alley.

They uncorked the bottles and gulped them down. The effects were similar to watching someone drinking polyjuice potion. Harry felt his skin stretch and his bones grow painfully fast. When the feeling stopped he flexed his limbs to get rid of the stiffness. He had never had an aging potion before so he was quite unprepared for the soreness to remain. His body felt like he had been exercising without stretching afterwards.

He looked at his two companions; Ron was about four inches taller than Harry and was much more bulky built. Even though he wasn't as muscled as he had been in the war, you could see that he had the built of a warrior. His hair was still flaming red and fell down neatly around his ears. His blue eyes shone with delight and he had a happy smile on his lips.

"Good too see you again!" he said lightly.

"Prat," muttered Hermione fondly. She had grown too, now being about the same high as Harry. She was a lot curvier now, compared to her fourteen year old self. Her thick brown hair cascaded down her back and her face had gotten sharper even though it was still oval shaped.

If you used words as warrior about Ron, then words like regal would be used to describe Hermione.

They changed into the robes Ron had brought and Hermione pulled out a small case and quickly set to disguise the three of them. Using muggle make-up to make Harry's face darker and coloured Ron's hair brown. She proceeded with giving each of them coloured lenses.

They attached the lenses without much of a fuss, being used to it from times when they couldn't trust magical means of disguises. Ron had gotten brown eyes, Hermione grey and Harry dark brown.

"I think Harry's disguise is the best," said Hermione as she critically looked over her work. Harry looked nothing like himself, with his dark hair, dark skin and almost black eyes. In fact he looked like someone from the south, no one would ever be able to draw the parallels between this man and fourteen year old pale skinned Harry Potter.

"The foreign wizard persona fit, especially if I'm gonna start hissing in parseltongue to get our way, it will draw less attention that way."

They were just going through the plan when the door yet again was opened. Harry and Ron immediately span around and pointed their wands at the intruder while Hermione provided a possibly escape route by opening a window.

The person who entered, a hairy and dirty man, got as far as to the first toilet when he discovered the wands pointed at him. Coming to a halt it took further seconds before he managed to comprehend the three imposing figures that held the wands. He took one look at the dark robes with hoods that obscured their faces, tense and battle ready stances before bolting out of the room.

"How cowardly can you be? Scared of three people standing in the middle of a public toilet in broad daylight," said Hermione amazed as the door swung close after the man.

"Didn't you notice who it was?" asked Harry as he lowered his wand.

"No, but it was quite hard notice any features with all the hair in the way."

"It was Mundungus Fletcher."

"How could you tell?" asked Hermione and Harry smirked.

"My dear Hermione, there was several clues, firstly he was wearing that ugly orange scarf of his…"

"Which he hasn't washed in the last couple of decades," muttered Hermione.

"Second he walked with his left foot twisted inwards, he kept the door open – prepared to bolt, hunched posture…and only Dung could be surrounded by that repugnant smell of fire whiskey, tobacco and two week old eggs."

Ron snorted and whacked Harry over the head.

"Okay master tracker, stop bragging, just because we don't notice every tiny detail on every person within twenty metres radius."

"We'll meet up with you at madam Malkin's in about two hours," said Harry to Hermione, promptly ignoring Ron, as he tended to do when they started teasing him about his abilities.

"Sure, I should have found all the school things by then, I'll try to find the books we need but I doubt I'll find any."

"Don't worry Mione, we'll take care of it," said Harry as Ron dragged him out through the door to get going. It didn't take them long to reach Knockturn alley and when they did they stopped for the shortest moment to pull their hoods over their faces.

Knockturn alley was still dark and menacing, but not as much as it had been when he accidentally had flooed here in his second year. Then again the risk of you being accosted by vendors was lesser if you were a hooded stranger. But despite that they stayed close to each other and walked swiftly. But still, Ron had to shove away three impertinent thugs that tried to approach Harry and snap at one hag that had tried to sell a love potion to them.

They had just reached Borgin & Burkes when yet again was stopped by a stranger. This time a thin man with filthy hair grabbed Harry's arm.

"Young sir, would you be interested in a lot of money? I got just the deal for ya, once in a life time, surely an esteemed wizard like yourself would not miss," he said in a insistent voice as he tugged on Harry's arm to led him towards one of the dead ends.

Ron stiffened beside him and reached out and jerked him away violently, the man slammed into a wall and fell to the ground with a thud. He blinked blearily for a second before scrambling up and drawing his wand.

"Shouldn't have done that," he snarled angrily and waved his wand towards them. "Stu.."

He didn't finished the incantation as he was interrupted by a ominous hissing sound.

~I wouldn't do that if I were you, unless you have a death wish~ Harry hissed in parseltongue. The man jerked back and stared at Harry, Ron saw the opportunity and sprinted forward. In two steps he reached the man and punched him in the face, at the same time kicking away his legs. It took about two seconds and the man lay moaning on the ground. Ron found his wand and snapped it in two.

"Don't touch him you filth!" he hissed at him but it was doubtful he heard. Ron kicked him once more before striding over to where Harry had remained unmoving.

"Temper Fire," said Harry as he used Ron's alias they had come up wit during the war.

"I don't like it when they get to close to you," murmured Ron as they went inside the shop.

"I know, but I am still fully competent to defend myself."

"Not now you aren't, you can't use your magic."

A doorbell chimed when they entered the dusty shop and the creepy atmosphere immediately got to them. Harry took the lead and quickly started browsing the bookshelves, Ron hovering behind him like a bodyguard.

_Hmm…Deadly Curses…Long Lasting Hexes…Time Triggered Curses…now that would be interesting…How to curse your neighbour, Eternal commitment – soul bond__s… Body transfiguration…no no no!_

"You find anything?"

"No, this is only curses and stuff."

"There's another shelf over there," said Ron, pointing at another aisle.

Harry quickly browsed through it but found nothing of what they needed.

"No, there is battle magic, healing magic, warding magic and curse magic, while interesting, is nothing of what we need."

"What **do** we…" started Ron but trailed of when both of them turned their heads when they heard someone approach.

Mr Borgin himself walked around the corner eyes lit with greed; when he saw the customer he plastered a selling smile on his face.

"Oh sires, can I help you with something, I got rare book you won't find anywhere else."

"Do you have any books on law and ministry policy?" asked Harry in a cold voice. Mr Borgin seemed unaffected by the tone and took a thoughtful expression.

"Ministry dealings you say, you have to be more specific than that."

"The tracker on underage wizards," said Harry shortly, and watched with narrowed eyes as Borgin's expression turned both suspicious and arrogant at the same time.

"Tracker on underage wizards you say… wonder why you would need that?"

"One of our associates needs to have that obstacle removed," lied Harry swiftly. The sneer that had formed on Borgin's face didn't disappeared.

"And how do I know that you just aren't two brats who are trying to cheat the restriction on underage magic."

"And you care about the ministry laws because?"

"My books are rare…and very expensive, I won't waste my time on little street urchins."

"We got money, and I am sure we will be able to come to an agreement, unless…" said Harry as he went up closer to Borgin, who had to force himself not to back away. "…you need convincing." ~Pathetic coward~ he hissed softly in parseltongue and watched in satisfaction as Borgin paled and scrambled backwards.

"So how about you stop delaying us and show us the rest of your books, or do you need motivation?" said Ron as he snapped his fingers and a flame appeared, burning just above his fist.

Ron was a fire elemental – an ability rarer than metamorfmagus and much more difficult to learn and control. The elementals were practically myth by now as the last one to wield an element was a Malaysian who died two hundred years ago. Ron had discovered his talent a few years ago but the lack of a proper master and practise had lead to that he still had an abysmal control over his element. Except for a few episodes, when he had been upset and accidentally made his enemies burn to cinder, so were his fire ability just a way of burning down furniture and getting burn marks.

"Be careful Fire, you don't really have control, we wouldn't want to accidentally burn down the shop because you get impatient now would we," said Harry carelessly and watched again as Borgin shrank back, all his previous arrogance gone.

"No need for that gentlemen, now books about the ministry, this way."

They left the store twenty minute later, carrying a dozens of books. Five were about the ministry and the improper use of magic office as well as the Decree for Reasonable Restriction of underage magic.

"Ice would just love to get started with these books," muttered Ron, referring to Hermione with her codename.

"Hmm," was the non-committal response as Harry was engrossed in a book about soul enslavement. He had managed to liberate the book and a few others from Borgin. They were all on the decidedly dark side of magic and he didn't feel like leaving them there for anyone to find. They had gotten it all to a very reasonable prize – reasonable for them that is, Borgin hadn't been very happy but he acquiesced after a little more hissing in parseltongue and Ron "accidentally" burning down a cursed armchair.

The next store they visited was an apothecary, containing al the things you wouldn't find in the Diagon alley. This time Ron had to act delivery boy as Harry directed him to get everything from tarantula legs, moonseed, black snake root, dragon hearts and grindylow skin.

"Here you go; some nightshade," said Ron as he put some purple flowers in the basket on Harry's arm. Harry glanced up from examining two jars of frog eyes.

"Those are black nightshade, I needed bittersweet nightshade."

"Black, bittersweet what's the difference?"

"The difference is a light stomach ache or vomiting your own intestines out," said Harry unconcerned as he put one of the jars back on the shelf.

"Fine I'll find them, but all the blasted plants look the same to me."

"Oh and grab some Deadly nightshade too," said Harry when Ron turned to leave.

"Arrgh, we are never going to leave this store," groaned Ron.

"They are pink, now if I just can find some powdered Taipan fangs," muttered Harry; completely engrossed in his shopping.

They met up at the cashier an half-hour and watched him weight all their things on a silver scale. It took a long time and they soon found their attention drift over to a heated conversation back in the store room.

A middle aged man, dressed in a stained shirt was talking to an Asian man; they seemed to have a disagreement.

"What do you mean this is it?"

"That's fine goods, I saved the finest for you honoured buyer," answered the Asian man.

"You mean to tell me that these molten pieces of papyrus are what I have been waiting two months for!"

"The market is screaming for basilisk parts, what with the ministry's new trading act, I had to get it past the boarder and besides I get more for it in New York."

"I know basilisk parts are sought after, hell I got costumers who have been waiting for months for it..." the man's frustrated sigh was heard all the way to the cashier. "Okay I take them."

The Asian man mentioned the price which set of another round of dispute and haggle over the price.

"Basilisk parts are hard to get by?" asked Harry the cashier.

"So you heard that huh," said the young man.

"Quite impossible not to," said Ron.

"The boss is always in a quandary to get basilisk parts and the shipments we get are always bad and…ehrm required in secondary ways."

"And I guess the price is quite something to," speculated Harry.

"You bet, one foot of basilisk skin goes for about five galleons and just one single drop of basilisk venom goes for ridiculous forty galleons." (a/n forty galleons would be about two hundred pounds)

"Hmm I might be able to procure some basilisk parts for you, for the right prize of course," said Harry thoughtful.

"Are you serious!"

"Yeah I just have to contact my sources first, what do you think your boss would be willing to pay should I manage to get some?"

"I don't know, I'll go and ask," he disappeared in the back room and they heard whispered conversation. Or rather Ron heard every word while Harry didn't hear a thing.

"One would think he got a free ticket to heaven as he goes on and on…oh watch out he is gonna try trick you," said Ron as the man returned and with him his boss.

"You said that you might have some wares to sell me?" Harry nodded. "Maybe you'll want to come to my office, I got some fire whiskey to share."

"Mr…?"

"Grimsey"

"Mr Grimsey, as I told your employee, I have basilisk parts that I might sell, name your price and I will contact you, after I have received offers from the others store owners."

The man seemed to deflate a bit at the thought of competition but quickly went all business.

"How much would you be able get?"

"Let's just say that I get it from the original source…more than enough I would say,"

"Let's see, considering the present market price I would say for the skin three galleons a foot and thirty galleons per drop of venom, how much would you be able to procure?" Beside him the cashier were franticly shaking his head at his boss.

"I believe the price for a drop of venom would be about forty galleons," said Ron smirking.

"But it is costly to run a store," said the cashier, trying to save his stuttering boss.

"I don't have time for haggling right now," said Harry impatient after a glance at his watch.

"I'll send you a letter in a week's time and then you can give your offer." They took their purchases and walked out.

It was the second they left Grimsey's rare and potent potions supplies, when the first hint of real trouble appeared. They turned to leave the alley when Harry suddenly stiffened and discreetly surveyed the alley. _Something is wrong,_ he realised, as he gave Ron a signal. Without taking his eyes of the street he felt Ron stiffen beside him, having noticed the warning.

They only had a seconds warning when a red beam of light speeded towards them. They easily evaded the stunning spell and spun around to face four men. They recognized the man they had met outside Borgin & Burkes, the other was average built and cloaked in a black robe. If he didn't knew better Harry would have thought they were Death Eaters. However their sloppy posture and arrogant smirks were enough for Harry to dismiss them as minor threats.

The two others on the other hand were a completely different story. They were tall and muscled and moved with barely restrained strength. The way they looked at Harry and Ron, almost savagely, unnerved Harry. He couldn't put his finger on it, until he felt Ron tense beside him and protectively stepped in front of Harry.

"Werewolves!" growled Ron.

_Ah__, that would explain it,_ thought Harry as his hand slid inside his robes and he pulled out a silver knife.

"So we are, wizard," smirked one of the werewolves, even though he cast a wary glance at the silver knife, as did Ron.

"So what do you want? I am sure we have nothing of interest for you," said Harry nonchalantly.

"You attacked my brother!" growled the smaller werewolf. Upon closer examination, Harry noticed that he was similar to the man they had met before.

"Correction, he attacked us, very foolishly of him considering that we predicted his moves before he even moved. Is he stupid enough to attack then he has to pay the price," said Harry flatly.

"Shut up pretty boy," snarled the wizard in the black robes. Ron growled threateningly at them.

"It's the way of the alley isn't it, don't attack if you can't win," Harry said coolly as he crouched in a defensive position while raising the knife in his hand.

"Yes but you did one fatal mistake when you attacked my brother, you see he isn't alone, and neither are we, we got powerful friends…" said the smaller werewolf.

"You talk like you actually stood a chance at beating us," said Harry tauntingly.

"Look, he think he is something. What boy, do you feel big and bad because you run away from mummy and walk in the dark alley," he said in a mocking voice. "Why don't we teach him and his little bodyguard just how dangerous this alley is," said the tallest werewolf and took one step forward.

"Wrong move," growled Ron as he and Harry exploded into action.

_The small man is wandless so he shouldn't be a __threat; Ron will be going for the werewolves that leaves the wizard, _thought Harry as he chose his target. The black robed man had raised his wand and started shooting of spells the second they moved. He wasn't bad; Harry would give him that, as he dodged a bone breaking curse.

He closed in on the wizard but had to dodge when the wandless wizard slammed into him. He easily grabbed his arm and twisted it before slamming his head into a wall. The second of distraction was enough for one of the spells to hit him. He gasped as a cutting curse sliced his forearm.

Without hesitating anymore he threw his knife which imbedded itself in the man's thigh. The man gasped and stumbled for a second in which Harry darted forward and twisted his arm in an arm lock.

"Wh..what! can't even use magic, yo..you mudblood," gasped the man from the painful lock.

"Shut up, I don't need magic to deal with scum like you," growled Harry as he looked how Ron was faring.

Not so good apparently, it was two against one. They fought mostly with their fists, Ron had been using his fire element, but as usually it didn't cooperate. The werewolves had some singed strand of hair and smoking robes but other than that they seemed unharmed.

When he saw one of them attacking Ron from behind did he decide to intervene, dropping the man he was holding, but not before slamming his head into the ground and stepping on his wand – breaking it. He quickly went over and simply swept the werewolf's feet away, making him fall to the ground. From there it only took a few seconds before both werewolves were unconscious.

"Thanks for that Chaos," said Ron grateful as they nonchalantly turned around and walked away from the scene.

"It was a tight spot for a few seconds, I wish I could use some magic, I am awfully weak without it."

"No your not, most wizards can't defend themselves at all without a wand, and you just defeated two. Can't you use shadows," asked Ron but Harry shook his head.

"You can't really fight with shadows and not in broad daylight. Your fire wasn't really working either."

"Stupid thing."

"You have to learn how to control it," said Ron as they stepped back into Diagon alley. They received a lot of suspicious looks so the removed their hoods. Not that it lessened the stares.

"You sound like Ice," grumbled Ron.

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Meanwhile had Hermione been running around in all the different stores, trying to get three sets of school supplies. _I really, really hate shopping,_ she thought glumly as she skidded around a stack of books inside Flourish & Blotts. She stopped perplexed when she noticed the bright smiling face of Gilderoy Lockhart on the cover of a book named _The monster in the school._ _Somehow I doubt he is talking about Umbridge,_ she thought as she picked up the book and read the blurb, _Bla bla, petrified students, messages in blood, fear and terror, Gilderoy Lockhart to the rescue, what a rubbish, seems like Lockhart is still an admired author then, stupid fraud._

She put back the book, determined to never touch it again – it would be blasphemy reading something like that. She only had one thing left before she was supposed to meet her boys.

Quickly she made her way to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions; she had already gotten her school robes, as well as her periwinkle blue ball gown, when she had been her with her parents earlier.

This was for Ron.

She entered the store and was immediately approached by an assistant.

"Can I help you?" the young girl asked with a pleasant smile.

"Yes, I am searching for a dress robe for my son," she replied with an amused smile.

"Ah, he is in Hogwarts? Practically every student have been asking for them, makes you wish they had a ball every year."

"How do you know that it's going to be a ball?"

"What else could it be?" was the answer she got as the assistant turned towards a rack with fabrics. "Eyes and hair?"

"Umm," said Hermione hesitant, the statute to never reveal information on her boyfriends was deeply ingrained in her.

"What is his eye and hair colour?" repeated the assistant impatient.

"Blue eyes and red hair," she said as a sing song voice spoke up in her head. _You are being paranoid Mione, your boyfriends are no longer wanted vigilantes._

"Tricky combination…hm how about a blue robe?" Hermione shook her head. "Too girly you think?" said the assistant barely sparing Hermione a glance. "Take a look at these fabrics; I am sure we will find something you'll like."

Hermione groaned when she saw the large pile of models. _I really, really, really hate shopping._

_I am scarred for life! _Was her slightly deranged thought as she left the store an hour later. She had never been the girly type, had always preferred smarts over looks – she had always been engrossed in a book when the other girls in her dorm had been talking about clothes or boys.

_Speaking about boys; they should be finished soon._

She struggled with all the bags; wishing she could put a shrinking charm on them. Because of all the bags she didn't had full view over the street (a fact that Harry would have been appalled over) and thus managed to run into someone.

"Ouch! Watch were you are going, this is…" started a man but the rest of his words were drowned by a loud noise. The man swore and turned his attention on the thing in his hand. Hermione blinked and stared curious at a blue white orb hanging in a golden chain. Around it was a metal construction with arrows pointing in all four directions. She could make out rune carvings on the metal but she couldn't make out the meaning.

The man managed to make the sound go away, even though the orb was still flashing furiously.

"This is very sensitive devices, look now you have altered it," said the man in an almost whiny voice.

"What it is?" asked Hermione interested.

"It is…" started the man but he was interrupted.

"It is none of your concern, Department of Mysteries," said a young man with copper brown hair.

Behind him a woman came running, she was also holding some kind of device. She came to a halt and kneeled beside the first man who was tapping at the orb with his wand.

"What happened, did you get a solid trace?"

"No, she bumped into it and the device goes crazy, I told you we shouldn't be doing it in the day!"

"I am not going to work night shift besides…" she was also interrupted by the copper haired man who stared pointedly had Hermione.

She sighed and rolled her eyes and left with a single curious look at the device. It had been looking like some kind of magic detector. Well, the department of mysteries were up to so many strange researches and ideas that you could not even bother. Instead her attention was drawn to two shadowy persons walking towards her.

"You sound like Ice," the taller of the two said amusedly.

"Who is sounding like me?" she asked cheerfully. They looked up and smiled when they saw who she was. Harry went forward and kissed her before relieving her of some of the shopping bags.

"We are talking about Fire's stubborn element, I suggested practising."

"Don't worry I will make a training schedule for you when school starts," said Hermione as she pushed two bags in Ron's hands, then raised an eyebrow at their dishevelled appearance. "Either you decided to screw each other in a dark alley somewhere or you ran into some obstacle."

"Some thugs got offended," shrugged Harry. "We are quite all right, I got a flesh wound, and Ron…well it takes more than that to get rid of him," calmed Harry when he saw her concerned expression.

She smiled relieved and hooked both of their arms. "It's easy sometimes, when I see this new world and you as fourteen years old, that we all have been through so much worse," she said sombrely.

The two of them immediately went closer to her and gave her a reassuring hug. "Don't worry love, that's over now," whispered Ron. Hermione squeezed his hand and offered a smile.

"So where to now? I recon that our disguise will stay for a few more hours."

"I got all our books and school supplies I also found some wandholsters only thing left is wands, I don't think we can buy much else, we are starting to run out of money."

"We still have ten galleons left," said Harry. When Hermione raised an eyebrow at him he smirked. "We were able to…ah haggle the price."

Hermione snorted. "More likely you scared them out of their wits; honestly I can't take you anywhere…so we have about thirty-one galleons left."

"It was much easier when we had Harry's money to draw from, what with Harry's fortune and all," said Ron and Hermione smacked him on the head for his insensitive remark. But Harry agreed.

"Yes, money was at least one thing we never had to worry about during the war," he said.

"Imagine the war briefings if we had been forced to discus financial problems and funding," said Hermione as Ron made a choking sound beside her.

"We could have set Dennis to gather sponsors," said Harry and continued in an overexcited voice. "Hello we are the last defenders of the Light, please help sponsor our campaign against evil."

"You still have the money though," said Hermione.

"Yes but I can't get them, not without Lily and James knowing. With the risk of sounding heartless, I never realised how much independence I really had."

"But it came with a price though," said Hermione softly. "A price you wouldn't have paid if you had the choice."

"True."

They arrived to their last stop; Ollivanders. They entered the shop and looked around with trepidation. The shop looked exactly the same as the last time around. The shadows alerted Harry to a presence and he turned around and smiled towards the startled man who emerged from the shadowed corner. To the side he noticed that Ron had noticed the man the same time as himself and Hermione, ever watchful of their actions had also turned around.

"Still enjoys freaking people out Mr Ollivander."

Mr Ollivander just smiled creepily at them and strode towards them as if he hadn't been caught hiding in a corner.

"Ah Mr Po…?" Ollivander suddenly blinked confused and stared at him closely before shaking his head. Harry had been staring back; quite uncomfortable that he had managed to guess his name despite their disguise. "I beg a pardon mister; I must have mistaken you for someone else."

Harry pushed his concerns aside and nodded dismissively.

"All three of us need new wands," he said going straight to business.

"Yes I gathered that from you being in my shop, but I must confess that I don't get many customers your age," he said thoughtfully as he tapped his chin. "May I ask what the problem is with your old ones?"

"They are not a perfect match," answered Hermione. "They feel of, kind of like they don't fit."

"I see…major change in personality or life changing choices could cause something like that," stated Ollivander absentmindedly. "Have this been a problem for a long time or did it happen recently?"

"Well for me would have been ever since I inherited it from my uncle," said Ron feeling that true explanation would help make their story a bit more believable.

"Then you really need a new wand," said Ollivander as he walked straight to one of the shelves. "Inheriting someone else's wand is hap hazardously, its not often it is a perfect match, never in fact. Here we go maple and unicorn hair, nine inches," he said as he came back from a shelf, a box in hand.

Ron took the offered wand and waved it, nothing happened and Ron put it down on the counter.

"I thought things would explode when it wasn't a match?" whispered Harry to Hermione as Ron continued to try wands without result.

"It only happen with first years, Ron's magic have matured enough that he have full control over it, the fact that he is an occlumence further the control one has over ones magic," was the scholar reply.

"Oh," said Harry, quite relieved that they wouldn't have to worry about exploding things, fire and mini tornados.

"Here we go mister, pine and griffin feather, eleven inches, quite an unusual mix," he said as he gave a red wand to Ron. They watched him take the wand and the air suddenly filled with warmth. Ron smiled blissfully for a second before he schooled his features into an impassive mask again.

"This is the one," he said and stepped back, slipping his new wand into the wand holster Hermione had gotten for him.

"Excellent," said Ollivander cheerfully and turned expectantly to Harry and Hermione. "Who's next?"

"Ladies first," said Harry and nudged Hermione forward.

It went the same way with Hermione as it had with Ron. She went through dozens of wands before starting to get something even close to a match.

"That was almost a match," she said as she put down the thirty-eighth wand. Ollivander hardly heard her, muttering excitedly as he was, already back among the shelves searching for another wand.

"This maybe…yes this might be it… I'm almost certain," he said with conviction as he came back with a box that looked fairly new. "This is one of my newest creations, here, beech and sphinx hair, seven inches, excellent for the subtle magics such as charms."

Hermione took the silvery wand and proceeded to wave it around; she smiled when all the discarded wands suddenly flew up in the air and stayed suspended in midair. She nodded and gave room from Harry.

Harry was quite nervous when he went forward, it didn't show in his face, even though Ron and Hermione still could tell, but he was known to always attract…well curious happenings to say the least.

They had guessed that the phoenix and holly wand had gone to Neville so that one was out. He wasn't even sure if he would have gotten it, Ron and Hermione hadn't gotten their old ones (except for Ron who had already had his old one, but that still hadn't been a match so it didn't count). He guessed that they had changed too much from their eleven year old selves.

The fact that Harry's animagus forms were each others opposite and he had been sharing mind with the darkest Lord of three centuries; was the perfect opportunity for strange impossible things to happen.

He accepted the first wand Ollivander handed him, ironically yew and thestral hair. He waved it and it come as no surprise when nothing happened. It felt like there was a shield between himself and the wand that prevented him from using its power.

So then it started; he went through wand after wand after wand. They started of with the ordinary materials, Maple and dragon heartstring, Holly and unicorn hair, Hawthorn and griffin feather, Ash and Phoenix feather. But soon they moved on to the more unusual mixes like oak and Occamy feather and ebony and veela hair.

Behind him had Ron sat down in the rickety chair and had pulled down Hermione in his lap. Hermione was constantly glancing at the clock and Harry knew that she was worried that the effect from the aging potion would disappear before they got back to the leaky cauldron.

_Should have known this would take time!_ he swore as he returned the wand with willow and werewolf fang as its core, that one had almost been a match.

"Tricky costumers eh," said Ollivander and Harry instantly had a flashback to the first time he had tried for his wand. "Don't worry, so far I have never failed to get a costumer his wand…but this might take awhile."

He sensed that Hermione's patience was running out and that she tried to stop herself from interfering. But knowing her she wouldn't be able to be quiet for much longer, especially when she knew something.

True enough, when Ollivander returned with the next wand, Larch and Thestral hair, she stood up and snatched it from his hand. Ollivander looked deeply offended and Ron rolled his eyes.

"This wand won't work," she said in a bossy tone of voice and raised the wand in the air, far from the reach of Ollivander who tried to snatch it back. The whole scene was quite funny.

"Young miss I assure you that I know more of this than you. The wand chose the wizard after all."

"But so far you have failed to introduce them to each other; you are bringing him the wrong wands."

"Don't try to teach me how to do my work, I been creating wands for over six decades," he said crossly.

"Yes but Harry is a special case," she said, completely ignoring the affronted look Harry gave her. "We need the wand with the most opposite mix you have."

Ollivander stopped his attempt to retain the wand from Hermione and got a thoughtful expression.

"The most opposite you say…are you completely sure, wands like that are quite unstable to say the least."

Ron snorted behind them and Harry smacked him over the head. He was not unstable!

"Are you absolutely sure, the most adverse material?" Ollivander asked again, this time directed at Harry.

"I think that would be best," answered Harry, trusting completely in Hermione ability for logic and correct conclusions.

"I wonder…" Ollivander trailed of and disappeared deep inside his shop.

"Why do you always have to be so special Chaos!" groaned Ron from his chair.

"Shut it Fire!"

"He has to come back soon, you are both starting to look younger," fretted Hermione, causing Harry to closely examine her face. He seemed a bit younger, it would be noticeable in a few minutes and the effect would probably be completely gone in a half an hour.

"I knew I should have done more of that blasted potion but I was so frustrated when I finally finished it that I didn't want to make more. Next time you do it Chaos, I don't care that you might get caught!"

"Relax Ice, we still have time," said Harry.

"Especially now when Ollivander returns with that super wand of his," said Ron indicating back to the shop were he had heard Ollivander returning.

In his hands he was holding a metal box and he carefully put it down on the desk. Ron got up from the chair and they all gathered around the desk.

"This is an experimental wand I did a couple of years back," he explained as he unlocked the clasps on the box. "I was not surprised; in fact I had expected it, when it didn't work. All wand makers tries to make a wand like this sometimes in their career. I must say I was curious..."

They stared at a light brown wand that lay on a velvet fabric.

"What's its core," asked Harry when Ollivander had been staring unmoving at the wand for a few seconds.

"Cores," whispered Ollivander, causing the others to stare. "It's the dream among all wand makers to make a wand with two cores. Alas none have ever succeeded since the wand gets so unstable and volatile, due to the fighting cores that no one ever manages to wield it."

"What are the cores?" whispered Harry as he slowly reached out to take the wand.

"The wood is elder and the cores are dementor's bone and phoenix feather," said Ollivander as he slowly backed away from the desk.

"The most polar beings in existence," gasped Hermione and to backed away, dragging Ron with her.

"I don't know what I were thinking creating a wand like that," muttered Ollivander from behind a shelf were he had taken cover. "Must have been drunk."

Harry barely notice all this as he grabbed the wand; he had known ever since he saw it that it was his wand and when he touched it it was confirmed.

He felt two different sides in him stir in a powerful explosion as his magic touched and seized the wand. The double cores seemed to seek out one side of him each, making the match complete. For a second it felt like all the polar elements were about to clash violently, he felt greed, jealousy, antagonism and distrustfulness. But everything suddenly stilled, seemingly content and comfortable, when feelings like accepting took over. And power, such power, it was absolutely intoxicating.

He felt his magic float inside him, barely contained by his skin, ready to be released in an unstopping flood. He hadn't felt his magic like this since the duels with Voldemort, when he was in a high due to all the bloodlust, rage, adrenalin and overwhelming displays of magic. This was invincibility, greatness, life, – this was pure power.

He opened his eyes and watched a bit dazed at the messy shop, it looked like an explosion had thrown everything to the walls – with him in the epicentre.

"It's the one," said Harry, still a bit overwhelmed.

"Amazing, simply amazing," stuttered Ollivander as he came out from his hiding place. "I was so sure the wand simply would explode in your hand," he said, completely missing the dangerous look Ron gave him. "But you seem to be the one for that wand. Amazing, I never would have thought," he said and stared completely mesmerized at the wand in Harry's hand. Suddenly he seemed to have an epiphany, his mouth formed into a silent "oh" and his face lit into almost childish enthusiasm. "Say Mister, would you say that the wand is embodiment of yourself?"

"Maybe," said Harry guardedly but Ollivander didn't seem to notice.

"Could it really be, all this years, impossible but still…" he muttered to himself.

"What?" asked Harry, confused by the wandcrafter's behaviour. Ollivander looked at them and started explain.

"The wand always chooses the wizard, that's the foundation of wand crafting, but it might just be that for two cores wands we have to think the other way around; that the wizard creates the wand into the most compatible possibly. Because to cores makes for such a violent mix that they have to be carefully customized to fit exactly, it's simply stunning… I never…"

"So Mr Ollivander, if you don't mind? We have to leave now, what do we owe you for the wands?" said Hermione and pullet up her purse. Ollivander managed to turn his pondering gaze from Harry's wand and looked at Hermione.

"I tell you what; I will let you have the wands for free if you would be willing to answer a few questions."

"I don't know Mr Ollivander," said Harry slowly, both seeing Hermione franticly shaking her head and his own urge to closely guard his secrets.

"Please, this is completely revolutionary, you are the first one to ever wield a two core wand, maybe this is the breakthrough we have been waiting for," said Ollivander pleadingly.

Harry shook his head and motioned for Hermione to pay the man but as he saw the wand maker's disappointed face he relented.

"I'll make you a deal, I will stop by someday within a year for your questioning and in turn I want nothing from this event or following questioning to get out. Not our names and definitely not information about our wands. I want a magical vow for that."

Ollivander seemed to hesitate for a second but relented, the opportunity to learn more about two core wands won out.

"I don't know your names so that won't be a problem," he said and raised his wand. "I Owald Ollivander hereby swear on my magic never to reveal what's transpires between us or the characteristics of your wands except for the wand related discoveries that might be found."

Harry cast a glance towards Hermione who nodded, satisfied he finished his part in the vow.

"I accept."

Both their magic stirred shortly, sealing the deal and Hermione paid for the wands – to a heavily discharged price.

"Honestly Chaos, you can't even buy a wand without triggering revolutionary discoveries in the art of wand crafting," said Ron as they hurried to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Not funny," grumbled Harry, but without anger as he still was so elated over his wand.

"Hurry up, you look like eighteen-years old now," said Hermione and tugged their hoods down over their faces.

They managed to get back to the Leaky Cauldron were they changed their clothes and removed the make-up.

"I am late," said Hermione as she gave each of them a quick kiss before hurrying out through exit to the muggle world.

Realising that they were probably late to, the remaining two wasted no time in finding their families.

Ron's family were, unsurprisingly, late too and had hardly missed him, in fact he arrived in the shop the exact moment his mother started to look around for him. Quickly spotted by his mother he was forced to try on different dress robes before he (or rather his mother) settled for a rust red, lace covered dress robe – which, Ron observed astonished, actually **was** the best choice among all the lime green flower covered and rainbow coloured dressed that he had to chose from.

_Let__'s hope that Hermione found something better than this,_ he thought as the twin held up his robe, laughing their heads of.

Meanwhile Harry was getting his earful after being almost forty five minutes too late. James had contacted his friends on the auror office to see if they had heard something and they had been having a very loud and public argument were Lily had scolded James for not being responsible enough. Let's just say that that picture destroyed some of Harry' idolized images he had of his parents.

Ad the wound from the cutting curse and he got himself a grounding.

Hermione fared a little bit better, even if someone had ever told her that she would have cursed them into oblivion. After she had been picked up by her mum and sister they drove not home but in the other direction. When she asked about it she got the answer that they didn't had time to driver her home because she was late. So instead she had to follow them on their shopping trip.

So Hermione spend the rest of the day being dragged from shop to shop, forced to give her opinion on blue skirts, silky dresses, black leathered shoes and one hundred different shirts.

_Forget Cruciatus and hour long war briefings; there is absolute nothing worse than this, _she thought glumly as she stared with dread at yet another shop full with the latest fashion her sister eagerly dragged her into. _I really hate shopping!_

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A/N Harry speaks parseltongue, despite the fact that he got rid of the horrocrux inside him. I still follow canon but I reckon that Voldemort's horrocrux left such an imprint on Harry's soul that the ability remained. So was that explained.


	9. Quidditch world cup

Super thanks to all of you who have given reviews!

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They managed to meet up one more time before they bordered the Hogwarts express. Or at least Harry and Ron met up; both their families had managed to get tickets to the Quidditch world cup. They were disappointed but not really surprised when they learned that Hermione wouldn't come. Hermione of both worlds seemed to loath Quidditch.

Ron's family had left early in the morning the day before the match started. Ron had been half awake and had struggled to pack and hide all his weapons on himself. He had to make sure that Molly wouldn't find them, he was sure she wouldn't take to kindly to the seven inches long knife strapped to his leg.

He was relieved (and a bit amused) when Molly discovered the twin's stash of Weasley wizards wheezes which had started an argument that overshadowed everything else and almost made them late to the portkey.

Like last time they ran into the Diggorys. He thankfully didn't had to listen to Mr Diggorys boasting over the fact that Cedric had defeated the famous boy-who-lived, but that might have been because that had never happened.

But it also reminded him about the fact that Harry wasn't with him, they had had so much fun exploring the camp together. _I really hope that we will find each other,_ he thought as he remembered the letter Hedwig had delivered to him two days ago, where Harry explained that they had already arrived at the campsite.

They got hold of the portkey and were whisked away to the campsite. He managed to remain standing on his feet; as did Arthur and the Diggorys. His brothers and sisters had fallen to the ground though.

"Seven past five from Stoatstead hill," said a bored voice from behind him. He turned around and found two strangely dressed wizards; behind them he could see the camp. Hundreds of tents in different shapes and colour were visible through the morning mist. It was early morning and the camp had just started to wake up.

"Morning, Basil," said Mr. Weasley, picking up the boot and handing it to the wizard dressed in a kilt and poncho. The wizard threw it into a large box of used Portkeys beside him; Ron could see an old newspaper, an empty drinks can, and a punctured football.

"Hello there, Arthur," said Basil wearily. "Not on duty, eh? It's all right for some… We've been here all night… You'd better get out of the way, we've got a big party coming in from the Black Forest at five fifteen. Hang on, I'll find your campsite… Weasley… Weasley…" He consulted his parchment list. "About a quarter of a mile's walk over there, first field you come to. Site manager's called Mr. Roberts. Diggory… second field… ask for Mr. Payne."

They managed to find their spot in no time and immediately set to raise the tent. Arthur was again fascinated with the tent sticks and this time they didn't had Harry or Hermione to help them. But Ron knew exactly what to do seeing as he had been living in that tent for the bigger part of what would have been his seventh year.

_Could probably set it up in my sleep,_ he grumbled unhappily to himself as he scrutinized the tent, all the while trying to repress the bad memories he had of living in this tent; the hopelessness, not knowing anything and finally, one of his worst memories; him abandoning Harry and Hermione.

The three room big tent looked just like he remembered; he could almost imagined Harry sitting in the sofa reading _The life and lies of Albus Dumbledore _while Hermione was standing guard outside. _Or searching for some disgusting mushrooms that we were supposed to eat. _He sighed as he remembered how he had acted during those months. He had been no better than a spoiled prat, who had done nothing besides complaining while Harry and Hermione had pulled the heaviest load – trying both to end the war while keeping their spirits on an adequate level.

He never really could forgive himself for his childish selfishness, although he knew that Harry and Hermione had forgiven him long ago.

Out of habit he put his rucksack on his old bed, only to have it pushed down on the floor as the twins claimed the room for themselves.

"Hey, I had that bed," he exclaimed indignantly.

"We had dibs on the smallest bedroom," said George as he slouched on the bed.

"Since when?"

"Since this morning," said Fred.

"Bad luck, I had dibs on this room since yesterday."

"You didn't even know that we were going to sleep in a tent yesterday," retorted Fred as he started pushing Ron towards the door.

"Now that you remind me, didn't I say that I had dibs on the smallest room last week? Fred?" said George with a pondering expression.

"Now that you mention it, yes I believe you said something like that, I thought that you were talking in your sleep but you clearly said that you had dibs on the smallest bedroom." continued Fred in true twin fashion. "So sorry little brother, room's taken," said Fred as he did a shooing motion with his hand.

Ron was just contemplating if he could take on both of them at the same time when Percy walked past – a rucksack in his hand and a resigned expression on his face.

"Hey Percy, didn't you say last month that you had dibs on the smallest bedroom?" shouted Ron to his older brother who stopped in shock.

"Wha…I…I didn…I mean…" he stuttered as he edged closer.

"You know when we were talking about ministry regulation on wizard tents last months, you clearly said that you wanted the smallest bedroom," Ron continued as he winked at Percy. He watched in satisfaction how Percy took in the rucksacks on the floor, the twins grin and finally Ron's expectant face.

Percy pushed up his glasses and answered. "Yes I did, considering that the ministry in fact only allows for maximum four room tents I thought it safest to claim one of the bedrooms in time," he said in a somewhat superior voice, or it could have been a smug voice, Ron wasn't sure.

The twins went closer and circled Percy all the while giving him suspicious looks.

"A highly satisfying explanation..." said Fred.

"We would be hard pressed to come up with something like that on such a short notice…"

"But you are Percy the Perfect Prefect, you wouldn't lie…"

"Especially if it involves the infallible ministry policy…"

"The almighty ministry I might add, with all its unworldly wisdom…" Percy started to look quite nervous at their continuous circling when the twins sighed and said at the same time.

"Very well, the room is yours, don't worry we will put up a warning sign at the door."

"Beware for ickle Ronnikins and Perfect Prefect Percy," they said in chorus and grabbed their bags and left the room, leaving a slightly bewildered Percy and a triumphant Ron. _You have to rejoice at the small victories, _he thought as he turned to Percy.

"That was some quick thinking."

"I am still not sure what happened."

"We get to share room," he answered as he put back his rucksack on the bed. "I hope you don't mind sharing with me."

"No not at all, I had actually resigned myself to the fate of sleeping with dad."

"Good, well you can start unpack, I'm gonna find a friend and leave the chores to Fred and George," he said in a cheerful voice and waved to Percy.

Before Percy could give an answer he was out through the door and the tent. The happy mood and anticipation had captured every single one of the thousand wizard and witches. He saw children playing around the tents, foreign wizards, mostly likely Bulgarians, singing their national anthem, and of course stressed ministry workers. All in all it made for a chaotic place and Ron was tense. None of the festive feelings he had had last time around were present. The only thing he could think of was the death eaters who were hiding in the crowd.

They had never uncovered who the death eaters at the world cup had been, that had always been a minor priority during the war, if it had been a priority at all with every thing else that went on. He regretted it now though. He had no way to know if the man in front of him was a death eater, or if the ministry employer who argued with a funnily dressed wizard, was one of those who would put on the mask tomorrow night. It made him uneasily and he gripped his wand more tightly while glaring at those unfortunate to bump into him.

He couldn't find Harry and decided to go back to their tent. _I don't think my nerves can take more strain now,_ he thought dryly. His mind was betraying him. It simply refused to accept that there was no danger here, so instead he was on high alert all the time.

When he came back to the tent he noticed that Arthur hadn't been able to light the matches yet.

"Here dad, let me," he offered.

"Hang on a sec I almost got it, it's amazing what the muggles can make," said Arthur in an excited voice. Ron sighed bemusedly and took the matches from him.

"That may be but we'll need the fire now, otherwise we'll have to use the stove," he said knowing what Arthur's response would be. True enough, he looked devastated at the prospect of having to use magic to make their dinner.

_I never really learned how to light these things,_ he thought as he experimentally lit it. It didn't really work but if there was one thing Ron could do it were fires. Glaring at the smoking match it slowly started glowing. Carefully he put the glowing match towards the wood, silently urging it and felt it grow stronger. Satisfied he stood up and was just about to turn to Arthur when he felt something closing in one him. Swirling around and raising his wand; only to stand eye to eye to Hedwig.

"Hedwig? What are you doing here?"

"Excellent question brother dearest," said Fred cheerfully.

"As it is a post owl it could never be that she has a letter," continued George.

Ron didn't answer them, having realized that the question was rather stupid. He raised his arm again and she swooped down, carefully scrutinizing him.

"Nice to see you Hedwig, just the owl I wanted to meet," he said in a low voice as he stepped away from his family. Hedwig hooted favorably and stuck out her leg for him to take the letter. "Thank you, you are with Harry aren't you? Keep an eye on him for me, will you?" he asked as he opened the letter. _She is too smart for an owl,_ he thought amazed when she seemed to nod at him. "You are not an animagus are you," he asked in mock suspicion before shaking his head, realizing that he was interrogating an owl. _Harry is definitely rubbing off on me, he is always talking to Hedwig._

The letter was short as usual, void of any important information.

_Hi Ron _

_We arrived on Tuesday and live in a tent in the eastern part of the campsite. I'll come to you on school time. _

_Harry _

_Ever the paranoid one eh Harry,_ he thought with grim amusement. He recognized the code; for time they used the Weasley family clock. When the hand pointed at "school" it pointed at nine o'clock; which meant that Harry would come tonight.

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Harry watched as Hedwig swooped down on his shoulder and gently nibbled his ear. They had immediately bonded and the sheer bliss Harry felt for it was almost out of proportions.

"Harry, where are you?" he suddenly heard Sirius shout from inside the tent. He sighed and turned around to see what he wanted. Inside the tent there was pandemonium and he momentarily understood how the Weasley household must have looked like ten years ago. There were simply children everywhere.

In the middle of it all was Sirius amusing Matthew, Rose and Neville with some outrageous story. His own daughters, Lucinda and Sienna were playing in a corner while five year old Leo ran around everyone's feet exhausting himself in his quest of making as much noise as possible.

"Harry, would you check in on Remus, he should be fixing dinner but he has gone into hiding," said Sirius as he hoisted a screaming Leo in the air.

"What for?" asked Harry worriedly, wondering what might have happened to Remus.

"Well since you don't seem busy right now, we're just going to finish this then I'll come and help you out," answered Sirius having misunderstood Harry's question. Harry shrugged and, figuring that he was probably jumping to conclusions, went in to the kitchen.

The kitchen was, not surprisingly, empty. No Remus in sight. Despite him being supposed to look after them. Lily Potter and Talia Black had flat out refused to accompany them to the world cup. And seeing as James had duty the first day Sirius had enlisted Remus to help look after the kids. Remus had likely fled the chaos and found a nice little hidey hole somewhere.

He stared at the pitiful canned soups that Sirius had obviously intended for them to eat before putting them back. Walking to a cupboard to get some ingredients he almost had a heart attack when he detected a figure hiding inside. Before he even registered what it was he saw he had drawn his wand and pointed it at…

"Remus!" he stated in confusion before tentatively lowing his wand. Remus was sitting on a bucket with a book in his hand; a globe of light hovering over him.

"Oh Harry! I was just… I'm going to fix dinner now," he said a bit embarrassed as he managed to climb out of the cupboard.

"Cramped?" asked Harry amusedly as he pulled out a chair which his godfather thankfully stumbled to.

"Quite," said Remus as he sat down.

"But it's the only place where you will be somewhat shielded from the joined Potter-Black- Longbottom invasion," finished Harry cheerfully.

"Yes… Um I mean, I really enjoy spending time with all the children," he said a bit dubious.

"But they can be a bit handful, and with Sirius acting more like a child himself it's best to retreat and let chaos reign," finished Harry again, Remus mock glared at him.

"Stop putting the words in my mouth."

Harry just smirked and went back to the stove.

"Were did you learn to cook like that," asked Remus after awhile when Harry stood at the table and cut vegetables in practiced motions.

"Like what?"

"Like that, last time you tried to cook you mistook the salt for sugar."

"I'm better now," they were silent for awhile before Harry spoke up again. "What book was your reading if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's about a wizard that spent his life with the yetis in Himalaya."

"I hope he isn't another Lockhart," said Harry and rolled his eyes.

"I thought you liked Lockhart, I was even with you queuing for his autograph in your second year."

"I did!" _If I ever get to my other self I'm gonna teach him a lesson in self-respect! _ "Well never mind, I was young and stupid, I have seen through that stupid fraud and the second I get home I will burn his autograph, thank you for reminding me," he said in a scornful voice before realizing how Remus might take it. To his relief Remus didn't seem upset over his proclamation; instead he seemed satisfied.

"Good that you finally realized that, now we just have to convince the rest of the wizarding world about it."

"So how did it go for the wizard?" asked Harry, curious since he was not the one to read such books, it was more Hermione's thing.

"Quite good actually, the first twenty years they seemed to want to eat him but now they are satisfied with just banging him around a bit."

"What an improvement" said Harry in a sarcastic voice. Remus seemed a bit startled at his tone, and not liking the contemplating look his godfather was giving him, Harry continued. "I bet it must be a real adventure, living so far away from civilization and all."

"It depends on how you define civilization," said Remus and shrugged, in doing so his robes shifted and revealed something Harry hadn't noticed before.

"What's that?" asked Harry and pointed on an emblem stitched on over Remus heart.

Remus shifted guiltily and made a move to cover it again but changed his mind and showed it to Harry. It was a crescent moon that had a silver band around it in a circular shape.

"It is the new mark for werewolves," said Remus silently, suddenly sounding timid and unsure. Harry got a feeling that if Remus and Ron were to meet Ron would take the position of an alpha.

"Say what!" choked Harry and stared at Remus.

"It's the new werewolf registration act – all werewolves are required to wear this symbol as to warn normal wizard and witches about our…contamination," said Remus with a careful concealed scorn.

"What if you don't wear it?"

"Nothing as of yet, it is optional until Christmas, after Christmas…well any werewolf who is found without the symbol will be sent to Azkaban."

"So why do you wear it know when you don't have to?" asked Harry and watched as Remus squirmed and look embarrassed.

"I thought it best to show that I wasn't about to put up a fight, even if I disgust myself – agreeing to this….treatment I don't want people shunning me more than they already are. An obedient domesticated lapdog I believe Sirius called me, he was all for me going against the ministry."

"Easy for him to say, he isn't the one risking ending up in Azkaban," said Harry heavily as Remus discreetly pulled his robes over the emblem.

"And how did the werewolves take it," asked Harry warily.

"I wouldn't know, I don't have any contact with other werewolves."

"Greyback and his pack won't give in, there is others too, who will not quietly accept this. The problem is that they are so shattered, without a powerful leader they won't be able to unite," mused Harry out lout and entertained the idea of Ron taking over the werewolf packs once again – before dismissing the idea. Ron wouldn't have the strength of body to fight over the position of alpha, not in a few years at least.

"What do you know about it?" asked Remus a bit suspicious. "The werewolves are very solitary creatures, I have only ever meet one, and I am a werewolf myself," said Remus and Harry noted that he neglected to mention that the werewolf he had met had been the one to infect him in the first place.

"I have picked it up, listening and reading between the lines. Once I got to hear a conversation with someone who had dealings with a werewolf pack around Manchester," explained Harry, carefully weaving in some truth in his lies.

"There are a few packs in Britain, not all of them are as uncivilized as Greyback's pack but they are vicious and suspicious towards strangers. The ministry fears them now, when they are weak and unorganized, should they get a leader then they would truly be a force to respect," continued Harry as he remembered werewolf fights he had witnessed. The raw and brutal strength in a fully grown werewolf was humbling and terrifying to say the least.

"I hope it never happens," said Remus with a weary sigh.

_You should find pride in what you are, Remus. Werewolves have their good sides too._ Thought Harry and wished he could say it to Remus to cheer him up, unfortunately he was well aware of how false that would sound – coming from one who had up until a few weeks ago been biased against werewolves.

_Not everything is black and white_. "It would be bloody; there are many crimes and injustices on both sides to pay for," was the only thing Harry said and took off the red apron he had been wearing.

"I should have helped you preparing," said Remus guilty as he stood up and helped Harry putting the dishes out on a camp table outside the tent.

"Don't worry, I had everything under control…but I wonder where Sirius is, he said he was going to help."

"Knowing Sirius he most likely forgot, without you we would probably have been forced to live on canned soup."

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The sun had already disappeared behind the horizon when Harry met up with Ron. Ron was waiting outside his tent with a grinning face.

"Who is the fat baby whale," asked Harry.

"Dudley Dursley."

"Back home at least, what's up with you? You look like Hermione just admitted that you were right about something."

The grin on Ron's face disappeared but his smugness remained. "The twins tried to give me a tongue toffee."

"Tried?" said Harry with a raised eyebrow as they walked away.

"Tried, recognized it straight away and managed to slip it into Ginny's food."

Harry snorted and imagined Ginny's angry face.

"Don't you think you have an unfair advantage over them?"

"Payback's a bitch; I was their test subject all summer in fourth year."

"Except for the fact that these twins weren't the ones that…" Harry trailed of and they latched into a depressed silence as they always did when the subject of their switched reality come up.

They were always painfully reminded that the people here wasn't the same people they had once loved. And sometimes it just felt so wrong to be with these copies. Day out and they in they were reminded of the people who had died and the fact that they were surrounded by strangers.

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The match went just as they had expected – Ireland won but Bulgaria caught the snitch. They didn't remember much of the match, Harry had just been busy worrying about tonight to properly enjoying the game, besides Quidditch had lost its excitement, he simply couldn't muster any enthusiasm for the game anymore. Strangely enough, Winky didn't show up in the stands, which meant that Crouch jr where somewhere else.

But the match brought one good thing with it; their pockets were filled with gold. The day before they had stumbled over an illegal betting pool where they had betted their last galleons on Ireland's win and Krum catching the snitch. Now they were running around the camping site; collecting their winnings. The goblins had been especially unwilling to part with their galleons. Understandably they hadn't been betting with Bagman but Ron told Harry that the twins had been gambling all of their money with Bagman.

"We can use that against them later," said Harry.

"Not to mention lending some money to Bagman when the goblins are starting to get impatient, it could be good to have Bagman in our debt."

"IRELAND!" shouted a drunken man suddenly and threw himself around Ron's neck. "We won, I knew our boys would come through for us! This cause for celebration! Fire whiskey for everyone!" Ron managed to throw him off and caught up with Harry. The drunken wizard then joined his friends who were singing and shooting colorful sparks in the air. Not far away were two irritated looking ministry employees approaching.

"What a festive atmosphere," commented Ron.

"Yeah." Without saying anything more they slowly turned around and started walking towards Mr Robert's house. They didn't know exactly when the riot started but it was not for a few hours at least.

They had discussed what they were going to do about the riot. Harry had been for killing the lot of them, while Ron had suggested that they just observed to have more control over the timeline. Eventually they had settled for a compromise – observing and saving the muggles.

So that's why they were standing in the Robert's garden at midnight. They were both dressed in dark clothes, no aging potion this time but their hoods were up, concealing their faces. The wands they couldn't use were in their hands and several knives hidden on their bodies. They stood under a tree, which didn't hide them, but Harry had wrapped shadows around them so no one would be able to detect them.

It was Ron who discovered them first; ten shapes that silently crept up the garden path. Harry felt the usual adrenalin rush that always came with the anticipation of battle, as he saw the white masks on their faces.

They stopped just a few feet away from the spot where Harry and Ron stood concealed; if he wanted he could touch the closest death eater – or stick a knife in him.

"Are you ready? Where the hell is Nott?" the leader asked.

"He chickened out" come the harsh response. "The bitch talked to him, she doesn't approve of tonight's event."

Anxious murmurs rose from the crowd at his words and a few seemed to be on the verge of going back.

"She doesn't command us, for twelve years she has bossing us around, using the excuse that she is preparing for the Dark Lord's return, but I have yet to see any proof of His return. How do we even now that she is trying to find Him? I think she is trying to take His place."

"And what are we going to do about it?" jeered one voice. "I don't see you do anything to return the Dark Lord, Avery. I wonder if you even want Him to return, knowing that He won't be pleased with you!"

"I am loyal," hissed the first voice angrily but there was a hint of fear in his voice. "Tonight we will remind the wizarding world that the Dark Lord's still out there, we will strike fear in their hearts – and if the Loyals don't like it then it's their problem."

Seeing as his companions were more or less convinced he turned around and raised his wand towards the muggle house. "Let's get the mudbloods!"

Harry and Ron looked at each other and nodded silently before Harry crept towards one of the windows. To his left were the death eaters busy with unlocking the door, they still hadn't taken any notice of the unnatural thick shadows.

In some unexplainable way the shadows wormed their way around the window enabling Harry to follow them, two seconds later he stood in a small living room. He kept to the shadows, which felt his presence and grew until the entire house was covered with impenetrable darkness.

He could see as easily as if it had been daylight, the shadows guided him to the four muggles. He couldn't use magic to protect them but he would be able to hide them with shadows. Downstairs he could hear the Death Eaters enter and stumble in the dark.

"Lumos," said a voice which was followed by cursing when the spell didn't managed to penetrate the darkness. The spell was repeated several times with the same result, a few even tried Incendios. The conjured fire flickered weakly before dying out.

"Don't bother, we'll find them anyway," muttered a voice and Harry heard how they climbed the stairs. He was standing in the children's room, so merged in shadows that he was almost only a specter.

The door opened to the room and the intruders stopped in confusion over the black void they seemingly had entered. Harry knew that if he wanted he could trap them in the darkness forever, with no hope of ever seeing the light again. But he wasn't interested in that, instead he closed the door with a bang.

He relishing in their growing fear for a few minutes before he slipped closer to the three men.

~ You are not allowed here~ he hissed softly in the first man's ear. The man jumped in fear and spun around.

"Who are you! Show yourself!" he screamed and shakily raised his wand.

"The shadows won't allow you to hurt these humans," Harry answered from the shadows; his voice distorted, making it sound like he was everywhere, which in essence he was.

"Show yourself! Stupefy!" the second man screamed; Harry recognized his voice as Goyle senior.

The other two had caught on and were too shouting curses all around them. None of them hit Harry, although one Crucio accidentally speeded towards him before it was intercepted by the shadows.

"You should leave now, before I decide to kill you all," he said in a cold voice when he finally lost patience with them. He eased the shadows around the door, allowing them to find the way out. For a second they seemed determined to stay and fight but when Harry made the shadows snake around their bodies, restraining their movements they gave up and bolted towards the door.

Harry chuckled darkly and slowly followed them, knowing that the shadows would remain and protect the family until dawn.

Ron, who Harry had left outside, strained his advanced hearing to hear what happened inside the house. It was to no avail though; it seemed that the shadows had cut the house from the rest of the world. He didn't like it, despite knowing that Harry would be positively untouchable like that.

It took about five minutes after that the death eaters had entered before they came running out again. Still hidden he listens to their agitated voices.

"Where is the mudbloods?"

"We don't have them, we didn't find them!"

"What do you mean, how difficult can it have been, go back and get them!"

"No way, there was something strange in there; I'm not going in there again."

"What afraid of the dark," come the mocking reply.

"Yes!" someone hissed in reply. "Something was in there, creating all the darkness…."

"Not even Lumos worked!"

"Are you wizard or not, it doesn't even take a powerful charm to make darkness."

"This was something else, not even Officio worked. And the voice…"

"Voice" came the skeptical reply. "You mean someone was in there?"

"It was everywhere, and… it spoke parseltongue." _Looks like dear Chaos put on the special effects,_ smirked Ron as he watched the death eaters grew nervous and jittery.

"It wasn't natural any of it," muttered one of the wizards.

"You are a bunch of pansies, well if the mudbloods don't wanna come out and play then let them stay inside then. Colloportus," said the man and pointed it towards the door that locked with an inaudible click. Ron, who had gotten a bad feeling about it, carefully edged closer.

True enough as shouts of Incendio and Confringo was heard as the cottage was set to fire. It took just s a few seconds for the magical fire to get a grip on the dry wood and the fire spread quickly.

_Fuck Fuck Fuck, we hadn't planned for this_ cursed Ron as he ran to the front of the house. The Death Eaters hadn't bothered to stay, instead they continued towards the camp were they were setting tents on fire, not bothered by the fact that they had trapped a family inside a burning building.

Harry would be able to get out with out problem, but to get the family with him wouldn't be as easily.

_Come on, slow down, stop, slow down, come on, calm, slow breaths, calm down, stop, _he thought franticly as he raised his hands towards the raging inferno as he tried to take control over the fire. It didn't work. He didn't felt the slightest connection with the flames and they continued as fiercely as before.

"Fire!" he heard Harry shout from inside.

"Chaos, are you okay! I can't control the fire!"

"I have the family with me, get the door to open!"

Ron quickly made his way over to the door, uncaring about the heat that accosted him. The flames danced around his body both hurting him and comforting him at the same time. The door wouldn't budge. He kicked at it several times, going as far as to throw himself at it full force. It wouldn't budge. He felt panic overtake him as the coughs from inside came more and more often.

"Arrgh open up!" he screamed, finally losing control over his emotions. The result was terrified screaming as the flames answered to his anger and grew even bigger creating a small explosion.

"Fire! Use magic! My shadows won't protect us anymore," came Harry's half choked scream from inside the smoking house.

"I have an idea, step away from the door," he replied and without waiting for an answer he focused all his emotions on his burning desire to destroy the door. A huge fireball erupted from his hands and slammed into the door.

More screaming was heard from inside when the door burst from its hinges and was catapulted into the wall.

"Chaos! Are your there!" shouted Ron as he tried to see through the flames. He was just contemplating to run headfirst into the fire when Harry came stumbling out. In his hands he was holding a five year old boy; face frozen in a silent scream. Behind him stumbled the rest of the family, the mother still in her nightgown was holding the hand of a ten year old girl.

"Thank you, thank you!" said the man, Mr Roberts, in a breaking voice as he took the child from Harry. The rest of the family had sat down on the grass, staring devastated on their now completely alit house. Harry wanted to sit down too, his lungs were aching, he was sweating and his clothes were singed and smelled of smoke. He had also received burns on his arms and shoulders but he easily blocked the pain.

"Come Chaos, we need to leave before the aurors arrive," whispered Ron quietly and helped Harry up. Harry stumbled up and leaned on Ron, he was utterly exhausted. _My body isn't used to the saving-people-thing yet,_ he thought absently as he managed to summon enough shadows so they could slip out undetected by the aurors.

"It took long time for the aurors to arrive," whispered Ron when they avoided all the aurors that suddenly were crowding the place. He shut up abruptly as auror Dawlish stopped and suspiciously peered into the shadows.

"Shut up, I don't have the best of grip on the shadows at the moment," hissed Harry harshly as he concentrated on making the darkness thicker. A few seconds later Dawlish continued and they slipped out through the garden.

"I mean if we hadn't been there then they would have died, the aurors wouldn't have been there in time to save them," continued Ron as they had reached a safe distance from the Robert's house.

"You mean if we hadn't been there then they would have taken the family, played with them a bit and then left them to the aurors to be obliviated," said Harry glumly.

"We don't know that," said Ron after a few seconds silence. "How do we know that they wouldn't have killed them? They are alive now at least, the house doesn't matter compared to that."

Harry didn't answer; instead he concentrated on getting as far away from the screaming Death Eaters as possible. He didn't have the strength to deal with that right now.

That was when they ran into James and Sirius; both had their red auror robes and wands in hands, both apparently heading to the riot.

"Harry! What are you doing here, are you okay?" James said in a worried voice, as he stopped having almost walked past him in his haste. Sirius was already five steps away. "Oy Sirius wait a sec!" James shouted after his best friend who stopped and sent an impatient glance back.

"I'm okay dad, I was with Ron's family, we were on our way back to the tent when all this happened. Are everybody safe?"

"Yes, everybody ran to the woods, Remus is with them, go and join them," James said quickly and prepared to leave when suddenly horrified screaming was heard from everywhere in the camp.

"James!" shouted Sirius and pointed towards the woods. Everyone spun around, Ron and Harry already knowing what they would be seeing.

There floating above the threes were the dark mark. The green skull jeered at them and the snake coiled restlessly around it.

"Fuck!" cursed James before apparating with a load bang, followed quickly by Sirius.

"Yes I'm sure it's a brilliant idea to go back to the wood now," said Ron sarcastic in the sudden silence.

"Come let's go, Remus will be worried, if he can't find me. Beside he can probably contact Arthur for you."

It didn't take them long to find Remus, Ron knew the general direction the other werewolf were in.

"Harry! Thank Merlin you're okay I was so worried," fretted Remus as soon they entered the clearing. Ron thought it a bit odd that Remus didn't notice his werewolf scent but put it down to the stress – and the fact that Remus always did his best to suppress his werewolf side.

They saw Leo, Lucinda and Sienna were sitting under a tree, Lucinda had tear streaks on her face and Leo had mud on his face but otherwise they seemed unharmed. Remus stood protectively over them with his wand in hand. Rose and Matthew were nowhere in sight but Harry and Ron could guess were they were.

"I'm okay, this is my friend Ron Weasley."

"Ah, one of Ginny's older brothers are you," said Remus, momentarily forgetting his worry.

"Nice to meet you sir," said Ron and held out his hand, wincing as Remus shook it. For a second Remus looked dejected but it quickly disappeared when Harry grabbed Ron's hand and held it up. Ron's hand was badly scorched, with blisters and red skin almost falling of.

"Ron! Why didn't you tell me you were hurt, are you okay," he said in a worried voice.

"I didn't notice it until now!" said Ron honestly as he let Harry carefully examine his hand. Without caring that Remus was there he bent down and gave his hand a quick kiss. Remus stared perplexed for a second at the peculiar show of affection before visibly shaking himself.

"We'll have to take you to a paramedic," said Remus and looked over at Harry. "Merlin, you got burnt too, what did you do?"

"We kind of got in the middle of it all, a burning tent fell over us when we were running."

"Hm…I'm not good at healing but let's if I can't numb the pain a bit. Doleo Relevo," he said and a blue glow encircled Harry's shoulder and Ron's hands. They recognized the spell, having seen Hermione use it before. It didn't heal the wounds but the pain receded somewhat.

"Thanks," said Ron gratefully.

"It will do for now, we'll find healers in the camp by now I believe. Our tent was destroyed in the riots so we'll have to ask a ministry worker for another sleeping arrangement."

"Maybe we can go to our tent, it was on the other side of the camp and shouldn't have gotten in the way," said Ron and Harry continued.

"I think that the others might be there too."

"The others?"

"Mr Weasley, Sirius and dad, I think that Rose, Matthew, Neville and Ginny should be there also."

"What makes you think that? I haven't seen any of them since the riot started."

"We ran into dad and Sirius on our way here, just before the dark mark appeared, they apparated to the spot I imagined straight away."

"But what about the children?" asked Remus without noticing that he spoke to them as adults.

"Umm, they are probably right under the mark, you know, with their pennant for trouble they couldn't be anywhere else. And if not, Ginny will probably lead them to their tent seeing as our part of the field is still on fire."

"Can't argue with logic," acquiesced Remus and scoped up five year old Leo in his arms. "Well then, lead the way Mr Weasley."

It didn't take long to get out of the forest, but by the time they did everyone was tired and dirty. Sienna was constantly complaining over all the sticks that were stuck in her hair while Lucinda was slowing them down by stubbornly trying to collect every stone she found on the way.

Ron and Harry walked slightly ahead of the group, talking quietly to each other.

"I really need to control fire, I don't care about the blisters but I should have been able to quell the flames," sighed Ron in a frustrated voice.

"You will learn, you've got it instinctively, you just need to find it," encouraged Harry. "But we'll need to be more careful in the future, we lost control."

"We did, didn't we."

When they arrived at the Weasley tent they were greeted by a large crowd, it seemed that they were right about James and Sirius coming here.

"There you are Harry," came James relieved voice from the kitchen. "Thanks for finding him Moony, things got a bit stressful for awhile there," he said in a mock serious voice but Harry could hear the weariness underneath. Remus must have picked up on it to as he spoke up.

"Did they capture any of the Death Eaters?"

"No we didn't get close enough to rip their masks off, as soon as they saw the Dark Mark they apparated."

"And what of the dark mark?" asked Remus.

Mr Weasley and James glanced at the kids that surrounded them before retreating to the kitchen, the silence from the room indicated that a silencing ward had been cast.

"So what happened in the wood, did you see who cast the dark mark?" asked Harry, immediately rounding on Ginny, Matthew and Rose.

"Well when everyone started shouting we all ran to the trees. It was chaos, people running around everywhere, we lost the twins and Mr Longbottom," said Ginny.

"We knew that we were in trouble if the Death Eaters would have found us, with Neville. But at least we were ready for them," said Rose in a confident voice.

_Sure you were,_ snorted Harry knowing that they would have been dead had any Death Eaters run into them.

"We actually saw the person who cast the Dark Mark," added Matthew in a stage whisper, well aware of the eager faces of the audience.

"You did! Who was it?" asked Ron in an exited voice, that anyone should have seen through. Matthew didn't though and continued.

"We didn't see his face, we just saw his dark robes and his mask. He lifted his wand and said Morsmorde. Then the mark appeared and he apparated."

"Then of course all the aurors showed up. They tried to stun us before they realized who we were. A little pudgy man even accused Neville of casting the dark mark. He was really angry, our dads were there too and we got to give them a testimony."

"There was no one else there? They didn't find any evidence of who it might have been?"

"No but we recon that it was the leader who signaled the Death Eaters to retreat. If we had two more seconds we would have been able to stun him. Imagine if we caught a Death Eater!" said Ginny in an eager voice.

"If you had had two more seconds and you had been stupid enough to reveal yourselves then you probably would have been dead right now. Death Eaters fight to kill and they don't play fairly," growled Ron harshly causing the others to look at him.

"And what does ickle Ronnikins knows about Death Eaters?" said Ginny scornfully. "The only time you ever hear about Death Eaters is when mum told you a bed time story about Neville Longbottom."

"We now what Death Eaters do!" said Harry in a low voice. "We saw it, what they were doing in the camping field. What they were doing to the muggles, you are lucky that he didn't saw you." The others looked eager to hear more but when neither Harry nor Ron volunteered any more information they all lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.

"Where is Neville?" asked Sienna after a few minutes. "Didn't you say he was with you?"

"He and his dad got one of the ministry's emergency port-key, you know with him being the boy-who-lived and everything."

"He is probably already at home."

"Well lucky him," commented Charlie as he came back from the kitchen were the adults had set up base. "We will stay here tonight and seeing as Potter and Blacks tent was destroyed your parents decided that you will stay here too."

"What! Can't we apparate home," groaned Rose as the twins cheered.

"Wicked! A giant sleepover party," shouted Fred in glee.

"Party all night long," shouted George.

"The only party you will be having is tooth brushing," said Arthur who entered the living room. "It's been a long day for every one"

"So off to bed… hmm it will be a bit crowded but I think we will manage. We can't put any enlargement charms on the tent, even if I knew any, so we'll have to manage with makeshifts beds," said James and raised his wand, transfiguring Lucinda's stones into several beds.

"I don't wanna sleep with Percy, he snores," screamed Fred and George in unison as they grabbed one bed each and darted into one of the bedrooms, slamming the door close after them.

"I don't wanna sleep with any boys," said Rose and dragged Ginny with her to the largest bedroom, closely followed by Lucinda and Sienna.

Ron and Harry remained sitting in the sofa for a few more minutes, choosing to ignore the chaos around them. They were discreetly holding hands and Harry had to resist the urge to lean against Ron's shoulder.

"You think anyone would object if we shared bed," whispered Ron after awhile when the shouts and ruckus had died down from the bathroom. "I mean, there is so little space and all, it's just practical."

"Who says that we would listen to their objections, I won't sleep alone after today," said Harry adamant and risked a quick kiss on Ron's cheek before getting up dragging Ron with him.

That very same night a snow white owl left the camp and set of towards London. She would arrive in the morning, along with the owl carrying the daily prophet. The letter read.

Dear Mione

No doubt you will soon read about what happened during the world cup. Ron and I really ended up in the thick of things, even though we stayed in the shadows and no one can remember seeing us. No worries we are unharmed, well except for some minor burns. The under age restriction is a pain; we had to resort to secondary skills. Ron's particular skill still doesn't cooperate. He got quite the burnt mark on his hands.

We both feel horribly about the muggles burned down house. Apparently death eaters had shown up but instead of just kidnapping the muggles they set the house on fire. Chaos was inside and the family was trapped inside.

We really miss you and as usual we were quite lost without your brilliance to guide us. You will get the full story when we see each other next time.

Love Harry and Ron

By the time the owl had disappeared from view the two boys were fast asleep, curled closely together on a makeshift bed in the overcrowded tent. There had been objections at first about them sleeping together, but the adults were later convinced differently – after all, it was innocent, they were like brothers, weren't they? In the end, the lack of space won out and they were allowed, even though Fred and George teased them relentlessly about it.

They were grateful though, the others presence calmed their nightmares. They slept peaceful all night long, safe in each others embrace.


	10. Redoing fourth year

_The street was full of injured muggles who were running around screaming and bleeding. The body of a child, head missing, was lying in front of her. Further down the street she could hear the battle commence in earnest; but all that was forgotten when she recognized just on which street she had apparated to. And then a scream tore through the chaos. _

_The scream – high-pitched and agonizing – made her freeze with shock and terror. The scream was followed by a more feminine one filled with just as much panic and desperation as it pleaded for help. _

_Her eyes swirled to the source of the screams and her eyes landed on a familiar house besieged by roaring fire beasts. Through the windows she could see the inferno inside burning red, orange, yellow and searing white. _

"_HELP, WE'RE IN HERE, SOMEBODY HELP US!" _

_The smell of burnt plastic, wood, chemicals and flesh assaulted her nose as she sprinted towards the house – determined to save them no matter what. She was just at the front porch and the heat was getting unbearable when someone grabbed her from behind. _

"_Let me go! They are still in there" she shouted at the person who grabbed her, then kicked him in her attempt to get loose. She could hear the screams from those trapped inside grow more and more high-pitched. Desperation took her and she made another attempt at reaching the door. _

"_There is nothing you can do, its suicide to go in there now" said Ron's voice. _

"_I DON'T CARE! MY PARENTS ARE IN THERE!" _

"_HELP, SOMEBODY, WE CAN'T GET OUT!" screamed the panicked voice of her father. _

"_Please do something, please" she cried, she didn't even noticed the tears that streaked her cheeks. "DO SOMETHING!" She yelled hysterically as she heard the screams go away. Instinctively though, she knew that it was already too late. _

_The flames suddenly took the shape of an enormous dragon that rose above the house. __A great roar tore through the air as the dragon dived down at the hous__e. The house broke as if had been made out of match sticks and the only thing left was a blazing ruin. _

_The fire continued burning, the people continued bleeding and the battle continued a few blocks away – she didn't notice any of it. _

_Unable to take in what had just happen she could only stare in mesmerized horror at the remains of her childhood home. _

Hermione always woke up slowly, as opposite to Harry's jerking awake and Ron's half awake and half asleep state. Personally she thought it was worse to wake up slowly. That way the nightmares stayed longer – it took longer time to realize what was real from what wasn't. The memory of the dream was also clearly etched in her mind every morning. That's why Hermione was always grumpy in the morning.

Tonight's dream had been horrible, but it wasn't new. She had lost count on all the times she had dreamt of when Death Eaters had found her parents' house and attacked with fiendfire. None survived. The memories assaulted her mind; forcing their way through the repressing haze she had obscured them with. They had found two baby corps in the ashes. Her siblings. She hadn't known that her parents had gotten more children during their time in Australia. But then again, she hadn't known that they had broken through her memory charm and returned to England.

_If I had known I would have been able to save them…I shouldn't have left them there. I thought they were safe… I was too arrogant, _she thought miserably while the logical part of her mind recognized the destructive thoughts. _I should have saved them_

Suddenly there was a loud banging on the door and she quickly raised her wand; it wouldn't do to get lax. No one opened the door but her sister shouted from the other side.

"There is some stupid owl in the kitchen, get rid of it NOW!" Only seven in the morning and her sister was already in a bad mood. She could see what Harry meant when he said that it was a bad idea to expose his relatives to magic in the morning. Still she gave her sister a shaky smile and followed down to the kitchen.

She felt relief mixed with tension wash over her as she saw Hedwig perched on a chair. She rushed forward and almost ripped the letter from Hedwig, who indignantly ruffled her wings and gave an annoyed hoot.

"It can never be hygienic to deliver post like that, just look at it, sitting at our dinning table, who knows were he have been… and what's he's been eating!" ranted her sister. "Ouch, what did you do that for stupid!" she cried when Hedwig apparently had had enough of insults and hissed warningly at her while flexing her wings – managing to look quite intimidating for an owl.

"He is a she," murmured Hermione absentmindedly as she ripped the letter open.

"And I care because, what now," groaned her sister as Hedwig had jumped onto Hermione's shoulder, Hermione barely noticed the sharp claws that cut into her flesh as Hedwig tried not to fall.

She stared at the two of them before huffing and going to the fridge, picking out some left over food and turned and waved a piece of cold bacon towards the owl.

"Here birdie, come and eat something, I don't think my sister's gonna give you food anytime soon."

Hedwig studied her piercingly before swooping over to Jeanne's shoulder; Jeanne stumbled a bit – not prepared for the weight of the owl. She stayed in the kitchen, studying her older sister and occasionally feeding the bird.

Meanwhile Hermione was busy reading the hastily scribbled letter from Harry and Ron. She had spent the previous day thinking about the riots trying to convince herself that it was children's play for Harry and Ron. The broadcast she had snapped up from Wizarding Wireless Network News hadn't helped any – with their reports of burned down houses, Death Eaters, deaths and mass panic. The entire thing had felt too much like the war, whenever one of them were out fighting the others would constantly battle the fear that they might not return.

She could remember all those times she had franticly waited for them to come back from one skirmish or another, the relief when they came back alive and then the horror when she took in their injuries. They tried to fight together, but it wasn't always it was possible. This was one of those occasions. And she could always count on Harry and Ron being in the midst of things. Fighting.

No wonder she had dreamt about the war more vividly than she had done in several weeks.

The hastily scribbled and somewhat cryptic letter almost made her cry in relief. Tension she wasn't aware she had disappeared leaving her drained. She closed her eyes and a goofy smile spread over her face.

"What was that about? You looked like Armageddon was coming," her sister asked in a – for once – neutral voice.

"It's the Quidditch world cup, they were attacked by terrorists and I had friends there, and now I know that they should be alright," she said in a tired voice and looked up at her sister and was surprised to see Hedwig sitting contently on her shoulder.

Her sister didn't say anything only looked at her with evaluating eyes, eventually she shrugged the owl off her shoulder and left the room.

_I guess this was an improvement from before _Hermione sighed and clutched the letter, suddenly feeling very faint.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

She arrived at least one hour early to the train and she quickly went to find their usual compartment. Well inside she stored her trunk away before starting on all the wards. A locking ward and a silencing ward – they were pretty basic. Then she continued to the more obscure ones, wards she was sure even Albus Dumbledore would have trouble breaking. It might seem a little bit unnecessary for a train with only children, but she wouldn't take any chances.

Ten minutes later she had finished the perimeter ward and magic repelling ward as well as an impenetrable ward. She hesitated for a second before adding a Notice-me-not ward and an Obscuring ward.

_Maybe I did overdo it a bit_ she mused as she sat down and started gazing out through the window. No one would be able to see her thanks to the obscuring ward, but she had full view over the platform.

Half an hour later started the platform to get crowded as children and families started arriving with trunks and pets. She recognized a few persons; the most remarkable ones were the ones she had met during the war – on either side.

She saw Cho Chang who had become an excellent healer; she was walking together with Marietta Edgecombe who never had been trusted during the entire war. She had disappeared at the end. Not far away were Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas; they had been great fighters and had taken down dozens of Death Eaters, it was a shame that Dean had been killed by a werewolf.

She suddenly jerked out of her musings when a small group stopped outside her window. The closest person was Neville, whom looked really different from last time she had seen him. He had a pleasant smile on his face and shouted and waved for various people that greeted him throughout his conversation with his friends.

"Neville, come on lets go, otherwise we won't find a compartment for all of us!" said a boy with black hair and proper wizarding robes. Neville turned around and faced him and as he did so Hermione could see the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

_This feels really strange, _mused Hermione as she watched the scar that had marked Harry and was the testament of the destiny that had controlled his life. It felt strangely relieving that someone else bore it now_. Even though Neville probably doesn't know what it means._

"Yeah we want to have a compartment for ourselves this time, unlike last year when we had to share," answered Neville.

"That wasn't my fault," interrupted a new voice as a girl with red hair joined the conversation. Hermione had read enough of Harry's reports from the Potter house to know who she was and she eagerly looked behind her to catch her boyfriend.

Harry was walking a few meters after her and seemed to be fending of the attention from both Lily and James Potter. She saw his eyes roaming over the platform and over the train, and when he came to her window he paused. For a second he tensed before relaxing and waved cheerfully to her. She knew that he couldn't see her but he had probably figured out that she would be the only one to hide behind an obscuring ward.

"We were in time; it's not my fault that Harry couldn't find a compartment of his own," said the girl as she greeted the two boys.

"That's not nice Rose, if Harry wants to sit with you then you have to let him. You have to look after your brother," said Lily immediately and either missed or ignored Rose rolling her eyes and Matthews not too subtle whispering of "mommy's baby boy"

"Don't worry mum, I'll find my own compartment"

"Sure you will honey, I'm sure that you could sit with a few of the younger years," said Lily and straightened out his robes.

The group moved away from the window and towards the door but she could see in the corner of her eye how they all said goodbye to each other. Even Remus Lupin had arrived and was whispering quietly to Harry before giving him an awkward hug.

A few minutes later they bordered and she could hear they stop outside her door.

"Harry," she heard Rose hiss at her boyfriend. "I told you to go somewhere else! You are **not** sitting with us!"

"I am going to sit in this compartment," answered Harry calmly.

"Sorry to disappoint you but its VIP students only, you know, for the boy-who-lived and his friends," said Neville in a teasing voice as he turned the door handle around.

"What are you doing? Come on open the door!" come the impatient voice from the black haired boy who Hermione suspected were Matthew Black.

"I can't, it won't open," said Neville confused.

"Oh it seems like the door won't let you in, are you **sure** you are the boy-who-lived," came Harry's mocking voice.

"Stuff it Harry Larry," growled Neville and she saw through the glass how he raised his wand. "Alohomora!...aww come on Alohomora!"

"The door doesn't open," stated Harry in a deadpan voice. "I suggest you continue down the train before the Slytherins take the last compartments."

"He is right, we don't have time for this, there is only a few compartments left," said Neville and continued down the corridor.

"Okey Brother you are going that way. Now shoo shoo," said Rose and pointed in the opposite direction.

"I think I'm gonna try this door myself, I'm pretty sure that this is the last compartment on the train."

"Phff as if you could open it, you who got troll in Charms."

"We'll se Rose Thorn," muttered Harry and knocked on the door. Hermione waved her wand and temporarily dismantled the wards.

Harry opened the door and smirked at her, ignoring Rose's shout of, "Hey the door's open!" and recited, "There was a halfblood from Little Hangleton, who quickly turned into a skeleton."

Hermione smirked back and continued; "A shitty childhood and ambitious game, a flashy mark and witty name. Beware the Dark Lord of Little Hangleton."

Harry smiled and entered the room, closing the door in Rose's face. Hermione quickly reapplied the wards, and watched in satisfaction as the door handle rattled.

"Tom Riddle Limerick, courtesy of Lee Jordan" said Harry fondly.

"I'm amazed that anyone remembered it the day after; drunk as we umpf…" started Hermione but was interrupted as Harry kissed her, there was some desperation in his kiss as his tongue forcefully roamed around her mouth. There was need and urgency about him; like a starving animal that finally finds foods and won't stop eating until the hunger inside is satisfied. She felt the same as she closed her eyes and encircled her hands around his neck; she could feel his body move close to hers; hot and energetic.

After a few seconds they had to break apart for air and she sank down in the seat again. Harry followed her and kissed her again. This time it was slower and tenderer as he snuggled up close to her and took hold of her hand. She smiled serenely as he sighed contently, and she went to stroke his hair. It was moments like this that she understood that Harry was more than her boyfriend: he was her entire world. Harry and Ron both were her entire world. They kept her whole, gave her a purpose in life, made her feel like something special, they were her safe heaven. It didn't matter where or in which world she were, only she had her boys with her. Home is where the heart lies.

It seemed that Harry had been thinking in the same lines as he murmured. "We are missing our third"

"He will soon be here love, we'll soon be whole again," whispered Hermione back.

"I can't believe that we have been apart for so long, it's been eating at me."

"Not knowing if you are alive or not…" started Hermione but was momentarily interrupted as Neville, Rose and Matthew started to shout and bang at the door.

"Hey, open up Harry! We had this compartment first!" shouted Roses voice.

"Silencing charms?" asked Harry without moving from his position on Hermiones shoulder. Hermione smirked and shifted slightly to be able to aim properly at the door, wordlessly she erected a silencing ward. The sounds were immediately cut off but they could see the door soundlessly shudder from the bangs. "They will grow tired soon" said Harry dismissively and turned his attention back to his girlfriend.

Ron arrived seconds before the train left and they were alerted to him standing outside the door by his fox patronus who showed up and stared intently on them. Hermione quickly dismantled the wards a second time and Ron hastily got inside, dragging his trunk with him, at the same time the train started moving.

Ron had barely dispatched his things on the floor before Hermione pounced on him.

"Ron I'm so happy to see you I…" she said in a cheerful voice but was yet again interrupted mid speech as Ron kissed her. Quickly getting overwhelmed by the forcefulness of the kiss, she took a step backwards and tripped on Hedwig's cage. Hermione's eyes widened comically as she fell, dragging Ron with her so that they landed in a heap in the floor.

Harry chuckled and quickly went to set the wards back up, seeing as Hermione was busy. When the doors and windows were properly locked and protected he turned to Ron and Hermione who were still lying tangled together on the floor.

"Are you quite finished now," he asked dryly when they didn't show any signs of breaking up their snogging session any time soon.

"Why would we? I'm quite comfortable here," came Ron's muffled voice as Hermione gave his neck a quick lick.

"Well your third is feeling quite neglected over here," whined Harry.

He watched as Ron and Hermione stilled for a second or two before silently getting up; Hermione grabbed his hand and held it loosely while Ron enveloped him in a hug.

"We can't have that now can we?" he whispered before kissing Harry on his cheek. Harry relaxed in his grip, feeling Ron's superior werewolf strength holding him possessively and a feeling of absolute belonging filled him. "You have no idea how much I have missed you," sighed Ron as he reluctantly let go of Harry.

"Oh we have a good idea," said Hermione dryly.

"Like an annoying nagging feeling in the back of your head, like you have lost one of your own limbs, like you are drifting all alone in the world without an anchor."

"Pretty much like that," said Ron and scratched his head. "It's been a long summer"

"Don't remind me!" said Harry and flopped down in one of the window seats, quickly followed by Ron. Hermione followed after having transfigured the seat into a plushy loveseat.

They didn't know how long they were just sitting there in comfortable silence but after awhile Hermione started interrogating them about the world cup. She had always been the logical and most driven one of the three.

"You didn't do anything wrong" she said strongly when they had described how the Death Eaters had set the Robert's home on fire. They didn't answer her, keeping their eyes downcast. She could feel the regret and shame from their failure ooze from them. "You didn't do anything wrong" she said again more firmly. "If you hadn't been there the entire family might have been killed."

"If we hadn't interfered they would have been tortured but woken up without any recollection of it. Now thanks to us they wake up without any memories of the night and a burnt down house," said Harry glumly with Ron silently agreeing beside him. Hermione sighed loudly before turning around and slapped both of them.

"Hey what's that for!" asked Ron indignantly as Harry touched his cheek. It didn't hurt – a slap couldn't hurt when they'd had some much worse.

"That's for you being stupid, you wanted to save them, and you did as best as you could. Sure it ended up bad but it's nothing you can do about it, and moping around blaming yourselves won't help anyone."

"I wasn't moping around blaming myself – that was Harry," defended Ron.

"You were silently agreeing with his stupidity – it's just as bad. Now snap out of it and do something productive!"

Harry straightened up a bit and gave her a strained smile but at least his eyes had regained their spark. "It's not like we can lose ourselves into depression when you're around," he said in an attempt to lighten the mood, Ron caught it and continued.

"Right, its not like we have time for moping as you so eloquently put it Mione, we got scheming to do"

"I got the Daily Prophet here, if you haven't read it yet."

"I didn't had time, the morning were stressful enough as it were," said Ron as he scanned the paper, Harry was reading over his shoulder. "Blah blah blah, report of dead bodies…undermanned auror force…none of the Death Eaters captured…what!, unknown wizards involved in the fire," said Ron chocked as he opted to read that part aloud. "…it is unknown what happened after the Death Eaters had set the house on fire – trapping the helpless family inside. When the aurors finally arrived to the site the muggles had already been rescued. According to the muggles they were saved by two hooded individuals who had disappeared shortly before the aurors arrived.

"Whether these unidentified persons were wizards or not is unknown. According to the muggles they didn't use any wands but still managed to keep the fire from hurting them. Late tonight were the aurors still looking for the two individuals; seeing as they are the only remaining eyewitness to the event. The obliviators were quick to erase the muggles's memories and thus preventing aurors or the press to learn the truth of the events that transpired. This of course leads to the question; who were these mysterious individuals and why was the ministry so eager to erase all knowledge of them?"

"Rumors has already been spreading that they are members of a special unit within the department of mysteries that answers only to the minister of magic. We from the Daily Prophet implore the two heroes to step out, and if they don't we will forever wonder why they run. Maybe someone is keeping their existence secret from the public. We will not rest until we can present our readers with the answer to these questions. By Rita Skeeter," finished Ron and folded the paper.

"Well she was at least right about one thing; we are trying to keep our existence from the public," said Harry.

"But we are not a secret bodyguard to the minister as she makes us out to be," said Hermione.

They discussed the world cup some more before Hermione noticed the darkened sky outside. Realizing that they would soon arrive they started to change their clothes. Ron pulled out his school robes from his trunk and scrutinized them.

"At least I'm still a Gryffindor," he said relieved as he looked at the Gryffindor crest. "Imagine being in Hufflepuff!"

"Hufflepuff isn't that bad," retaliated Hermione immediately. "What's wrong with loyalty?"

"But I wouldn't be with you two," said Ron off handedly as he pulled his jumper off. The other followed suit, not the least concerned by the others presence.

"I don't think you would have ended up in Hufflepuff anyway," said Harry and pulled his robes over his head. "I would guess Slytherin, with all your plots in your head, come to think of it…" said Harry contemplating. "I think you would have made quite a devious Slytherin."

"Don't give me nightmares."

Hermione had just made the sleeves and legs on Ron's second hand robes longer with a nifty charm, when the train came to a stop. Leaving their trunks in the compartment they left the train along with all the other students.

The platform was chaotic when everybody ran towards the coaches to avoid the rain. The trio ran too, feeling it unnecessarily to reveal the fact that Hermione had put a water repelling charm over their heads. Pretending to not noticing the thestrals they quickly climbed inside the coach and arrived to the castle.

In the mass of students they saw that Ginny had joined up Neville and his gang. They were talking agitatedly among themselves and sometimes looked up and glared at the trio, or maybe they were glaring at Malfoy who was walking a few steps ahead of them.

Malfoy were surprisingly not followed by Crabbe and Goyle but Theodore Nott and Blaise Zambini. Waking beside him was a beautiful girl in the same age as Draco. She had golden curly hair that cascaded down her back and a feminine face. Her entire posture screamed manners and pureblood. Her ringing laughter reached them and Harry almost wondered if she had some veela blood in her.

Harry looked back to Neville and co. to see them openly scowling at the Slytherins. Rose and Neville had to physically restrain Matthew from lunging at Malfoy; Ginny looked close to hex them with her bat bogey hex. Thinking back he recalled the train ride last time around how Malfoy had taunted them, especially Ron's father and it was safe to assume that he would do something similar to the resident boy-who-lived.

Reason seemed to win among the Gryffindors as Rose whispered something to Matthew who resisted struggling and got a mischievous glint in his eyes. They all picked up speed and stormed past the Slytherins. Ginny, Harry noted, took extra precaution in bumping into the golden haired girl.

"Typically Gryffindors!" the girl sneered. "Stomping past like a bunch of rampaging animals, no manners at all"

"Imagine if all wizards behaved like that!" Scoffed Malfoy as he watched the Gryffindors disappear around the corner.

"I think I rather be a muggle," sniffed the girl in a haughty voice.

"The muggles wouldn't survive your blinding perfection," smirked Zambini making the girl glare at him and didn't deign it an answer.

"The blood traitors are taking over, my father says…" started Malfoy but suddenly glanced backward and discovered the trio. "Well well well, if it isn't the weaker Potter twin. Eavesdropping were you?" sneered Malfoy as the three other Slytherins turned around and faced the trio.

The trio regarded him coolly; masks developed during a time when emotional display was a weakness and a weapon they couldn't afford to provide to their enemies. Ron's face looked as if it was carved in stone with a dark frown marring his forehead. _Ron is rather prone to frowns,_ mused an absent voice in Harry's head. Hermione on the other hand had a pleasantly blank face that revealed nothing and yet gave the feeling that she was neutral to everything.

"Yes unfortunely, I think our hearing is forever damaged from hearing you speak," answered Harry in a regrettably voice.

Malfoy's expression froze in surprise for a second before settling on a mocking sneer.

"It seems like you have gained some witty words during summer, shame it didn't came with a brain too," said the girl and Harry felt somewhat in a disadvantage not knowing who she was. Her gaze continued to Ron and Hermione who stood positioned on each side of Harry.

"Oh how cute; you have gotten two sidekicks as well. Judging by the hair I'd say yet another one breaded from the Weasley factory."

"Not another one," groaned Zambini. "Hogwarts is practically drowning in them"

"Didn't the sorting hat say that Slytherin were the house of the sly and ambitious? Surely he must have been wrong, you insult people with the subtlety of a hippopotamus," retorted Harry, feeling a bit satisfied at seeing them falter for a second. They seemed really surprised by the fact that none of them had run away in tears yet.

"Look he is telling us about subtlety, he who broke down and cried in the great hall when his younger sister had pranked him with ghouls."

"Don't remind me Malfoy, I'll start laughing again," said Nott with a snort.

"It was all boo hoo I want mummy!"

"I had never heard a more feminine scream than that," said the girl.

"One of the few times one of the Lion Pride's stupid prank could offer some amusement to the rest of the school who normally has to suffer them," said Zambini in a self suffering voice.

"Do we want to stay here and humiliate some Slytherins or do we continue to the great hall?" asked Hermione suddenly, completely ignoring the Slytherins.

"I'm hungry, let's go," said Ron.

"You are always hungry Ron," said Hermione and swatted him on the head.

"I'm a growing boy, off course I'm hungry." They continued bickering and Harry followed them – having lost interest in the four Slytherins. The Slytherins stared gobsmacked after them before snapping out of it.

"Hey were do you think you are going?" shouted Nott after them.

"To the great hall, I'm not sure if you know but students are supposed to gather there for the welcoming feast."

"Of course we…" started the girl but was interrupted by Malfoy.

"Just running away eh Potter, not so courageous of you, are you sure the hat didn't want to sort you into Hufflepuff?"

"I don't analyze it so deeply as you Malfoy, I merely lost interest in any thing you could possibly say," said Harry and caught up with Ron and Hermione, still keeping half of his attention on the Slytherins as they too continued towards the great hall. Allowing for an half transformation he turned his ears into wolf ears, if anyone noticed they would just think that he had been the victim of a prank or something.

"Sodding Pansies, who does he think he is? Dismissing me like that!" grumbled Malfoy in a slighted voice.

"He probably doesn't know just who you are Draco," said Zambini in a half serious voice.

"It's impossible to not know, he can't be that stupid."

"Oh I'm sure he can, although he got Granger to aid in the brain department but what they are going to use Weasel for I don't know," said Nott.

"Someone has to be the servant," smirked the girl. "That's the only thing blood traitors's good for."

"Can we stop talking about the trash in Gryffindor," interrupted Zambini. "Draco you promised to tell us what the ministry had planned for the school this year," he whined almost hanging on Malfoy's shoulder.

"Wouldn't you like to know," smirked Malfoy playfully.

"Come on tell us!"

"Why don't you ask Celeste, she knows," said Malfoy and Harry guessed that he meant the golden haired girl, having not seen any gesture as he didn't want to reveal that he was eavesdropping.

"No way, she gets scary if you pester her for too long"

"I don't" huffed the girl, Celeste.

"Yes you are and you're just like Draco too. If your own threats don't work you threaten with some crazy family member or so!"

"I don't have any crazy family member," said Draco and Celeste at the same time.

"I think we should talk about something else," said Celeste in a sly voice and Harry got the impression that the topic was banned and that everyone had accepted that it was, seeing as no one protested. "Seeing as Draco don't wanna tell you I will."

"Hey I wanted to tell!" yelled Draco. At the same moment they entered the great hall and the loud noise made Harry's ears start ringing so he transformed them back. Turning towards Ron and Hermione he saw that they had been listening to, Hermione were waving her wand over her ears – no doubt canceling some hearing enhancing charm.

"Well what do you know; seems like Slytherins can be fun," said Ron in a sing song voice.

"Prat you already knew that, we had a lot of them in the DA, remember," said Hermione and for once restraining herself from smacking his head.

"But they had no humor," interrupted Ron.

"Except for Zabini, he was quite funny"

"But he was always picking on me," whined Ron.

"That's what was funny dear," smirked Hermione.

They neared the Gryffindor table and sat down in the middle, no one had greeted them yet, except for Malfoy and his friends, if you could call that a greeting. Instead the Gryffindors seemed to look strangely at the three of them before dismissing them and turning back to their friends.

_For once I'm not in the spotlight all the time, _thought Harry with no small amounts of smugness. It was true that he had learnt to deal with his fame in later years but in school it had never been fun with people pointing and gawking at his scar. After a few years the students in Hogwarts had gotten accustomed to his presence but it always took a few weeks for the first years to get over their awe.

He glanced over to Neville and saw him surrounded by Rose, Ginny and Matthew. Neville didn't seem the least worried about the glances thrown his way, he had a confident air around him, almost bordering to arrogance in the way he would ignore everyone except for his favored friends.

Fred and George were also there and seemed involved in some competition with the quartet. He didn't bother listening in but it was amusing when Fred seemed to imitate sir Cadogan.

Their antics cheered him up from the morose mood he seemed to find himself in far too often lately. To see them so happy and innocent. _And I will be damned if I can't keep it like that. I will spare them the pain of war, _he thought fiercely. Suddenly Ron's face swam into view.

"They look so happy don't they?" he said in a low voice, his eyes distant and pained. In the corner of his eye he saw Hermione with an equal painful expression and a sad smile. He turned his eyes back to the quartet, where Rose and Matthew seemed involved in a discussion.

"Yes, they do."

"And we will make sure that they stay that way, we will protect them," said Ron in a determined voice as he looked at Harry and Hermione.

"Even if they don't really mean anything to us?" asked Harry despite sharing the same feeling.

"Yes… they have grown on me you could say, I care for them despite knowing that they can never be my family, can never replace them…but still…"

"They show us what could have been, and for that we will guard them," said Hermione in emotional voice.

"Maybe we should talk about something else, someone might be suspicious of our morose choice of topic."

"Don't worry; I put up a muffliato around us."

"Always the thoughtful one Hermione, oh here comes the first years!" said Harry and turned around. Mc Gonagall had just entered the great hall with the nervous and jittery first years. He couldn't help but smile at their terrified expressions as they huddled close together.

The hat in front of the head table jerked awake and the brim opened and the hat sang this years song.

A thousand years or more ago,

When I was newly sewn,

There lived four wizards of renown,

Whose names are still well known:

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,

Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,

Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,

Shrewd Slytherin, from fin.

They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,

They hatched a daring plan

To educate young sorcerers

Thus Hogwarts School began.

Now each of these four founders

Formed their own house, for each

Did value different virtues

In the ones they had to teach.

By Gryffindor, the bravest were

Prized far beyond the rest;

For Ravenclaw, the cleverest

Would always be the best;

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were

Most worthy of admission;

And power-hungry Slytherin

Loved those of great ambition.

While still alive they did divide

Their favorites from the throng,

Yet how to pick the worthy ones

When they were dead and gone?

'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,

He whipped me off his head

The founders put some brains in me

So I could choose instead!

Now slip me snug about your ears,

I've never yet been wrong,

I'll have a look inside your mind

And tell where you belong!

The great hall rang with applauds as the sorting hat finished and Harry turned curiously towards the first year students. Mc Gonagall unrolled a scroll of parchment and began the sorting.

"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," she told the first years. "When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table.

"Ackerley, Stewart!"

A boy walked forward, visibly trembling from head to foot, picked up the Sorting Hat, put it on, and sat down on the stool.

"RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.

Stewart Ackerley took off the hat and hurried into a seat at the Ravenclaw table, where everyone was applauding him. Harry caught a glimpse of Cho, who looked really different from last he had seen her. She was one of the few who had survived the war. Looking at her now he couldn't understand why he had been so infatuated with her. True she was very pretty but when he asked her out she still hadn't been more than a pretty face, a crying pretty face. _'Stupid teenage_ _hormones'_ he thought as he turned his attention back to the sorting.

"Baddock Malcom," said Mc Gonagall and an unassuming brown haired boy stepped up on the stool. The hat was silent for a few seconds in which Harry vaguely recalled remembering this particular sorting, his memory was proven correct when the hat shouted Slytherin.

Baddock went over to the Slytherin table were he was greeted by a tall and proud seventh year. The first year seemed a bit overwhelmed at the formal welcome as he shakily shook the offered hand. Harry started when he realized that he didn't recognize the seventh year. He was quite handsome, with broad shoulders and refined muscles. He smiled pleasantly as the first year sat down. Harry was sure that the boy hadn't been in Hogwarts in his own time, and yet there was something creepingly familiar about his demeanor. Unsettling.

The food appeared and Harry absentmindedly waved his wand over both his servings and his pumpkinjuice, his actions mirrored by Ron and Hermione.

A few seats away had Matthew Black started a speech.

"My dear Friends, worthy Opponents, and faithful Admirers, I am pleased to welcome you to another fruitful year of learning and new experiences, as we continue on the path to adulthood…" Giggles were heard at his ridiculously formal voice and suddenly Fred interrupted.

"I would like to give a toast for the boy-who-lived and entourage; who have valiantly tried to usurp the position as number one prankers."

"Your efforts haven't been in vane though," said George. "They have provided the rest of the school with amusement…"

"Especially the time when you accidentally got turned into a girl Matthew," sniggered Fred as laugher erupted at his words.

"Oh do you really start down on that path," said Ginny loudly. "I have a lot of ammunition on that part, remember that particular prank when you got locked up in the attic." The students took in the twins horrified expressions and started urging Ginny to tell the tale.

"Who is that?" hissed Hermione suddenly from his side and he followed her gaze back to the seventh year Slytherin.

"I don't know," murmured Ron from his other side, deep frowns on his forehead as he tried to place the face. Ron was a wandering lexicon concerning all the pureblood families in Britain. "I have never seen him before."

"He plays the entire Slytherin house though, look," said Harry. All the Slytherins were watching him with rapt attention, making him the centre of the Slytherin table. The seventh year himself sat rigidly like a king in his seat, holding court with those who sat around him.

"Looks like Slytherin has a king other than Malfoy.," muttered Hermione.

"Wonder what Malfoy thinks about that," said Ron in a bland voice.

Harry's gaze reflexively searched out Malfoy and found him sitting with his friends close to the seventh year. He had Blaise, Nott and the girl, Celeste, posted around him, and was occasionally drawn into conversation with the older boy.

"They are sitting by rang," murmured Ron after awhile when he had had time to study the Slytherins. "Look, Travers and Bole are sitting close to him, the two girls are Selwyn and Thicknesse, the two twins I don't recognize…" said Ron and Harry found two identical looking twins in black slightly wavy hair. "…but the others are Bulstrode, Macnair, Warrington and then Astoria Greengrass, all in the top of the pureblood hierarchy."

"No wonder Malfoy are allowed to sit so close then; what with his fortune and political standing, the house of Malfoy is easily the most powerful in wizarding Britain," grumbled Hermione.

"I think there is more to it, he seems to be awfully familiar with the King of Slytherin," said Harry as he stared at Malfoy laughing at something the older boy had said.

"Relative who attended Durmstrang maybe?" Suggested Hermione.

"Maybe…aargh its frustrating not knowing who he is, but we will find out; just cornering some Slytherin and extract the knowledge."

"Or just ask them," came Hermione's sharp reply.

"That would look suspicious," replied Harry. Hermione sighed inaudibly at her paranoid boyfriend but was interrupted from replying when Dumbledore stood up and the great hall quieted down, leaving only the rumbling from the storm to be heard.

"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices."

Harry stared at Dumbledore for the first time, having purposely avoided looking at him. They were still at the same side, but Harry had never, and would never, forgive the headmaster for how he had played Harry his entire life. True, he meant well and his vast knowledge and power were used for the greater good. But there had always been one huge flaw in the headmaster's manipulations; that they were manipulations. He had never allowed Harry to learn the whole truth, to shape his life as he wished. He was always nudging Harry onto the path he had decided for him. Demanding trust and giving none in return.

Learning the extent of the headmaster's half-truths, however well meaning they had been, had been a hard paid lesson in the war.

Harry sighed and tuned out the headmasters speech; he didn't want to think about his misaimed faith in his old mentor. His eyes strayed along the head table; Minerva was just as usual; stern and a steadfast. Then came Flitwick who had helped the Order in the end, he had actually saved Harry from losing his arm to Amycus cutting curse. Almost every one of the teachers had died during the war; even Filch had been killed when the stationed death eaters at Hogwarts had decided that they wanted a living prey to hunt.

Lastly his eyes landed on a dark cloaked man who scowled darkly at the students. Snape. Harry had very little patience for the man, and that was leaning towards the generous side. Having murdered Dumbledore, even though the man claimed it was planned, and spending the last minutes of his life pleading with Voldemort for the permission to go capture Harry didn't give him any favor in Harry's eyes despite Dumbledore claiming that he belonged to the Light. Even going to such lengths as claiming that he were in love with Harry's mum. Outrageous.

Also; being with the Light didn't allow for bastardly behavior; which he spitefully had told Dumbledore by using the resurrection stone.

Snape suddenly turned and stared at Harry, as if knowing that he was being watched. Harry couldn't help smirk at the man who had tormented him in his school years. Snape seemed surprised at first, if the raised eyebrow was any indicator. The face was quickly schooled into a sneer that promised loss of house points at first opportunity before he turned away. Harry smirked into his goblet; as if loss of house points meant anything to him – trivial things had no meaning. Feeling the familiar stab of pain and loss he quickly tuned in Dumbledore's speech again, lest the dark feelings would take hold of him again.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

Uproar of horrified shouts and angry mutterings filled the hall, the Weasley twins were staring openmouthed in shock at the headmaster and Neville Longbottom were clutching his heart in agonizing pain. Harry remembered that Neville were playing seeker; Harry himself didn't even try to look concerned, he was supposed to be completely uninterested in the game anyway.

Dumbledore cheerfully continued as if the hall wasn't filled with mutinous student. "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts…"

But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. Harry jerked and drew his wand, it was first when he was halfway standing that he recalled who it was at the doors. Praying that no one had noticed, he sat down again, quickly followed by Ron who also had gone into a defensive position. He could see Hermione edgily relax again as her hand reemerged from where her wand was concealed.

Mad-eye Moody in all his disfigured glory limped through the doors; the sound from his wooden leg reverberating in the hall. As soon as the students took in his scarred face and missing nose, they started whispering.

Harry had sat down and tried to look fearful at the Moody impostor; at the same time preying that no-one had noticed their antics. He could feel the magical eye on him as Moody/Crouch reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, muttering words Harry couldn't hear. He seemed to be making some inquiry to Moody/Crouch, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side.

Moody/Crouch sat down and helped himself to some sausages, not eating them until he had waved his wand over them in a similar fashion as the trio had, his magical eye never halting in his watch over the hall. Harry noted that his eyes more often than no strayed over to the boy-who-lived, and even himself a few times.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."

The applause took some time to start; Dumbledore's and Hagrid's frantic clapping echoed awkwardly in the hall. It wasn't until Neville and his friends started clapping that the rest of the student body followed. The trio didn't clap.

Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly.

The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "..though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar..."

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

"Er…but maybe this is not the time… no…" said Dumbledore, and Harry had to roll his eyes at the old man, he certainly knew how to play a school full with children. "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament… well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely."

Harry was one of those who let his mind wander freely as he already knew about the tournament. The quartet seemed elated at the prospect of being a champion and was listening with rapt attention; their mood was severely hampered when Dumbledore informed them of the age line.

Dumbledore ended his speech and the students left the hall. Well up in their common room, the three of them glanced at each other.

"Well good night," said Ron and touched her lightly on the shoulder, avoiding showing affection in such a public place. Harry followed his example and squeezed her hand.

"See you tomorrow," replied Hermione, feeling lonely as she watched them climb the stairs to the boys dormitory.

The girls' room was exactly as she remembered it but didn't fill her with any sense of homey feeling, she had never really had any good times in here.

"What was that? Has the know-it-all gone and gotten some friends, what did you bribe them with eh Granger; doing their homework for the rest of the year," said Rose as she walked up behind her.

"No, merely the lowlife ganging up," replied Hermione with cheerfulness she was hard pressed to fake.

"Think you are something now do you Granger? Think that you are like us just because you got the pushovers to follow you" said a girl named Gwendolyn Springflower.

"Are you finished now? You are correct that Harry and Ron are my friends, which means that I don't care what you say – not anymore."

"You fit together; the stuck up know it all, the stammering crybaby and the slugboy," smirked Rose.

"Oh, they are so much more than that." Hermione couldn't help to allow a smirk to escape; making her seem rather smug with a particular look that Ron had namned I-know-something-that-you-don't look. "But you will never find out, and for that I pity you"

"You think you are so righteous and smart don't you Granger? That you are above all us other, well face reality will you, no one care about your grades or that you are the teachers' favorite."

"That sound like jealousy to me, but please continue it's not like I care," said Hermione carelessly as she went to bed. The other girls muttered something before ignoring her and soon the comforting sound of soft snores filled the room.

Hermione lay awake long after the other girls had fallen asleep. The bed was too big, too cold, and too lonely. For over three years now they had been sleeping together. She loved waking up in the morning between Harry and Ron. Ron would always lay on his stomach with one arm under his head and the other grazing her stomach or hair. Harry on the other hand would always be curled together in a tight ball, his head buried in her side. He always looked so innocent and vulnerable like that, a far cry from the fierce leader and warrior he was during the day.

Those mornings; those short moments when the plagues of the night and the horrors of the day were so far away, when they could forget about the war and they could just be; how they had meant the world for her. Hermione always woke up slowly, that way she could bask in the warmth from Harry's body, the safety that Ron's wide frame provided.

They hadn't slept together since they arrived in this world. Instead they had made themselves sleep on their own, knowing that it would hurt them in the end. She had forced herself to go to sleep every night, even though she felt so utterly alone. She had persevered, even though the nightmares almost made her fear sleeping. It had drained her; inch by inch she had felt herself slipping. The nightmares, the cold, the loneliness – the loss of caring hands and soothing words.

She had told herself to wait till Hogwarts; as soon as they returned to Hogwarts they would be able to be together. That single hope had been her lifeline, the thing that kept her going. And now they were in the same building but they were still not together.

Unable to endure another second in her bed she got up and took her wand from under her pillow. Effortlessly she put herself under the disillusion charm and slipped out from the girl's dormitory. Quite thankful for the fact that the boys dorm didn't had any wards on it, for she wasn't keen on dismantle millennia old wards at one in the morning, she slipped inside the room.

It was almost the same as the girls' room and she quietly made her way over to Ron's bed. Mindful over the fact that it might be someone else sleeping there, she peered through the curtain. The bed was empty.

Turning around and staring out over the moon lit room, she made a motion to go to Harry's usual bed but stopped. Something seemed to draw her to the bed in the farthest corner. The crept towards it and attempted to open the curtains. They wouldn't open and she impatiently waved her hand over them. The third year charms on them weren't made with the intent to keep her out.

Peaking inside she smiled as she saw two pair of eyes turning expectant to her. Harry and Ron sat curled close together; Harry in Ron's lap and Ron's arms enclosed around Harry's smaller frame. They had been waiting for her.

"Thought you were going to turn up," said Ron contently as she climbed into the bed; they waited patiently for her to apply some stronger wards before they moved aside a bit so she could slide in between them.

"As if I were going to sleep alone when you are only a few steps away," she said drowsily as she wriggled to get into a more comfortable position. She felt someone, Ron, stroke her hair and Harry press a kiss at her cheek.

"Good night," whispered Harry and she felt him lean into her side and his breathing slow down. Ron continued to play with her hair for a bit longer until his hand stilled, still holding onto one of her strands. Hermione stayed awake for a little longer, relishing in the feel of their presence, before she too drifted away.


	11. Same story new faces

A big thanks to HPLover747 who is my Beta and make sure that any spelling mistakes and oddities is kept to a minimum. I should have thanked her in the last chapter but I was in such a hurry to get it uploaded that I missed it. Thanks again.

And thanks everyone who reviewed.

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It was Ron who woke up first the day after, well technically it had been Harry, who had woken up from a nightmare at four in the morning. But he had managed to fall into some kind of half slumber and was therefore not coherent when Ron woke up. He didn't really feel like getting up so he stayed where he was – only moving slightly so Hermione's hair didn't tickle his shoulder. His arm had fallen numb because Hermione was sleeping on it, but still he hesitated from pushing her away. She seemed so peaceful like this, so young and when he saw his contented smile he could almost believe that she was an innocent.

Harry was sleeping on Hermione's other side, curled into a little ball as usual. Harry had had a nightmare tonight Ron was sure of it, even though he hadn't woken them up.

"Come on wakey wakey," he said patiently and watched amusedly as Hermione snuggled closer to his side.

"No no yet, m so tire.." she mumbled and drifted off to dreamland once again. Ron smirked mischievously before taking aim and heaving himself on top of Hermione landing close to Harry. Grinning widely he smacked a wet kiss on Harry's lips. Harry jerked awake and threw himself away from Ron, simultaneously casting a stunner which flew over Ron's head, who had ducked at the last second. He visibly relaxed when he saw who it was and fell back on his back.

"Wakey wakey sleepy head, it's a bright new day outside," said Ron cheerfully, ignoring Hermione's muffled screams from somewhere under him.

"I ought to transfigure you to a rat and give you to Crookshank, you bastard, giving me a heart attack first thing in the morning," grumbled Harry as he dragged a hand through his hair.

"Couldn't resist," smiled Ron and kissed Harry more gently this time. Harry broke away from the kiss and leaned towards the headboard, his arms crossed.

"Aren't you going to release her before she suffocates?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. In that second Hermione kicked up with her hips and managed to throw Ron off her.

"What the hell of a morning greeting is that, you great whale!" she hissed and glared at Ron who leaned back against Harry.

"Oi! I take offence of that, no one compares me to Dudley and walks away unscathed!"

Hermione only huffed but Harry could see the mirth in her eyes. His own annoyance was long gone and he hugged Ron from behind.

"What's the time? Can't be late first day in school," said Hermione, causing the two boys to mock groan.

"I can't believe that we will be going to school again!" sighed Ron.

"But at least this time our grades are bound to be better, and we don't even have to work for it, we can just fool around."

"We still have a lot to do, like researching the underage tracer and the aftermath from the war," said Hermione conjuring a hairbrush and starting to sort out her messy hair.

"We know Mione, but I was more thinking that we could act a little bit more like teenagers this time around. We are redoing our fourth year, we know the schoolwork, we know everything that's gonna happen. We don't have to spend time worrying about crushes, dark marks, or lethal tasks – we can be like normal teenagers for once," Ron tried explain.

"Normal teenagers? Hmm…wonder what that is?" said Harry amiably with a hint of sadness in his voice. "We never really had time to be teenagers," he said as he moved over to where Hermione was sitting and took the hairbrush from her. Gently he started to brush her hair, occasionally stopping to sort out a messy tangle. Hermione relaxed and leaned towards him when he started to braid her hair, once again marveling over the fact that he **could** make a braid.

"We can play Quidditch, help with Christmas decorations go to Hogsmeade, dating… um what more do normal teenagers do?" continued Ron, listing all the teenager stuff on his fingers.

"Ron is right, we have a golden opportunity to act really immature, let's say we're making up for our lost adolescence," said Hermione absentmindedly, her eyes still closed as she enjoyed Harry's ministrations.

"What happened to Mrs Black's portrait?" asked Ron suspiciously, rather unnecessarily asking one of their security questions.

"It is me idiot, am I not allowed to be childish and selfish? I have been mature and responsible for too long, I'm sick and tired of it."

"Mione is right, it's about time we can be immature, and just being back at Hogwarts again make me feel almost reborn," said Harry as he finished the braid which went to her mid back.

"Um loves, the clock's seven fifty, we really ought to get going if we want to be on time," said Ron who had cast the tempus charm.

"Need to get going then, Harry could you flame me over to my bed?" asked Hermione.

Harry nodded and gripped her midsection; closing his eyes he called forth the phoenix inside him. He felt peace and tranquility fill him as the consciousness of the phoenix claimed the forefront of his mind. As a phoenix, the absolute being of the light, he could never hurt an innocent. Ra, the name he'd given that part of his spirit, wouldn't allow it, not even when Traceless was in command.

The magic was the essence of pure Light and spread through his veins like the sun spread over the ground at daybreak. He gathered the magic inside him and focused on his destination. Magical flames consumed him and Hermione and when he opened his eyes again he was in another bed.

"See you in the common room in ten," said Hermione and gave him a quick kiss before starting to locate her things. Harry just nodded and flamed back to his bed, Ron hadn't moved but when Harry showed up again he stretched.

"If I were to get long hair would you braid it for me too?" he asked hopefully.

"Maybe, but I like your hair like it is," said Harry, feeling almost lightheaded as the presence of the phoenix remained.

Ron stumbled out from the bed and couldn't resist stretching again before disappearing into the bathroom. Harry followed a bit more gracefully and went to his trunk.

~Obi Wan Kenobi~ he hissed and the trunk clicked open. He had warded the trunk on the train with Hermione's help. Or maybe it was fairer to say that Hermione had warded his trunk. Now if someone touched it they would get stuck with a nasty curse that made the joints on the trespasser merge together. There was also a strong compulsion charm that forced anyone who touched it to run away screaming like a banshee. Those were the additional charms. The others; the alarm, locking charms, impenetrable charms, and Harry's favorite – the one making the trunk shrink and disappear should anyone touch it – were basic.

He found his robes inside as well as a few knives. He balanced the knives in his hand for a moment, pondering if it was wise to take them with him. It was not really necessary to have knives in Hogwarts. Nothing could possibly happen. He ended up hiding one small knife on his leg and one on his side. He'd rather be paranoid and safe than dead and sorry.

He had just closed the trunk when the hangings around what had been his old bed moved and a sleepy Neville stepped out.

"Good morning Neville."

"Morning…wait a sec! What are you doing up?"

"We have school today."

"I mean what are you doing awake? You always oversleep!"

"Not anymore, and also Ron woke me up."

"Okay," he said and stepped to the bathroom and tried open the door. "Hey who's in there? Come on open up. There are others who need to get ready," he said loudly as he banged the door.

A few seconds later a disgruntled Ron stepped out. He glared at Neville but didn't say anything.

"Finally, what were you doing in there? Measuring your manhood?"

"Not really, Harry the bathroom is yours," said Ron and stood so Neville couldn't enter the bathroom. Harry happily skipped inside winking to Neville who tried to shove Ron to the side. He could just as well have tried to move a mountain as Ron remained unmoving, his werewolf strength making him stronger than normal humans.

"Don't say a word," said Ron in a low and dangerous voice when Neville opened his mouth to object. Neville's eyes widened slightly and he closed his mouth, huffing in annoyance as he backed away.

"You're acting strange," he muttered so low that Ron knew he was not meant to have heard.

Ten minutes later they were on their way to the great hall having met up with Hermione in the common room. There weren't many students in the great hall when they arrived. Mostly it was Slytherins and Ravenclaws, so they could speak somewhat undisturbed (although it didn't prevent them from erecting a silencing ward around them).

When most of the Gryffindor table was full came Mac Gonagall and handed out the schedules.

"What's this! I've muggle studies!" said Harry irritated as he scanned his paper.

"That's better than me, I still have divination," said Ron in a low grumbling voice as he stared at the schedule in disdain.

"Miss Granger could you visit me in my office after class today?" asked professor Mc Gonagall who had handed out all the schedules and was now heading back to the head table.

"Sure professor," smiled Hermione but didn't ask what for. Giving Hermione one of her rare smiles she looked over to Harry and Ron who were still sighing over their schedules.

"Is something the matter Mr Weasley, Mr Potter?" asked Mc Gonagall who heard them since they had removed the silencing ward.

"No professor, we are just a little bit disappointed in the courses we chose," said Harry in a pleasant voice.

"How so Mr Potter, I'll have you know that you can't change your electives," she said in a no nonsense voice. Harry got the impression that she had to deal with students who regretted their electives every year.

"Not even Divination?" asked Ron. "It is after all a subject that requires some level of gift in the Sight, and after one year of studies I can safely say that I don't have the sight. Isn't it a waste of time for me to continue it? I'm sure it would be much more productive for me to take muggle studies or ancient runes," said Ron in a polite voice.

Mc Gonagall stood still and stared at Ron in silent contemplation for awhile. When Ron calmly gazed back with no trace of uncertainty or fright she relented.

"I will talk to the other teachers and see what they say, I'm quite sure that students have changed courses before," she replied her dislike of Divination clearly winning over the prospect of having all the Gryffindors trying to change their electives.

"Nice going mate," said Harry and slapped his back.

"You didn't want to try change muggle studies?"

"Na, doesn't feel much for studying now, and besides couldn't it be nice to study muggles from a wizarding perspective?" he finished by repeating Hermione's reason for taking Muggle Studies so many years ago.

Their first lesson that day was Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, and Harry felt some strange sense of familiarity when collecting Bobotuber pus, like it was a reminder of a time when he had been just an ordinary student.

After that came Care of Magical Creatures so they walked down towards the forbidden forest. Hagrid was standing outside his hut, one hand on the collar of his enormous black boarhound, Fang. There were several open wooden crates on the ground at his feet, and Fang was whimpering and straining at his collar, apparently keen to investigate the contents more closely.

As they drew nearer, an odd rattling noise reached their ears, punctuated by what sounded like minor explosions and the trio was forcibly reminded of what kind of creature they would be studying today.

"Mornin'!" Hagrid said in his normal kind voice but Harry thought he detected some kind of sadness and weariness in his voice. His normally warm and friendly eyes were filled with anxiousness as he looked over the class. "Bes' wait fer the Slytherins, they won' want ter miss this – Blast-Ended Skrewts!"

"Come again?" asked Neville wearily as he cast a suspicious look at the crates.

Hagrid pointed down into the crates.

"Eurgh!" squealed Lavender Brown, jumping backward.

Harry looked to his side and saw Ron and Hermione with small amused smile on their faces. Blast-Ended Skrewts truly were disgusting creatures – more so when they grew to the size of a few feet and their teacher expected them to walk with the little monsters.

"On'y jus' hatched," said Hagrid proudly, "so yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!"

"And why would we want to raise them?" said the cold voice of Draco Malfoy, signaling that the Slytherin had arrived at last. Beside him were Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini. The girl, Celeste was walking behind them together with Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson.

They waited for Hagrid to reprimand them for arriving late but to their surprise Hagrid just looked nervous.

"I mean, what do they do?" asked Malfoy. "What is the point of them?"

Hagrid opened his mouth, apparently thinking hard; there was a few seconds' pause, then he said roughly.

"Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today."

"Actually Professor," said Hermione cheerfully and the class turned to stare at her. "Isn't it true that the poison in their sting is very useful in healing potions, especially potions designed for Dark fire curses?"

No one seemed to want to contradict her, probably because of her reputation as a know-it-all. Hagrid sent a warm smile towards her as he continued the lesson, now visibly more confident. "Yeh hea' the lady Malfoy, evry cretur' 's good fo' sumthing. Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things - I've never had 'em before, not sure what they'll go fer - I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass snake - just try 'em out with a bit of each."

"First pus and now this," muttered Seamus as the class tentatively stepped closer. Harry, Ron and Hermione chose one each and sat down on the grass. They knew somewhat what to do with the unfriendly little monsters, seeing as they had been breeding them during the war. Blast-Ended Skrewts really were one of the main ingredients in healing potions and even though the trio never had been the ones to take care of them, they knew that they ate rotten meet for some peculiar reason.

"Know any charm to make food rotten?" asked Ron as he poked his Blast-Ended Skrewt.

"No, that was never my priority," said Hermione as she cast a Scourgify on her hands to remove the slime from the frog liver.

"Just put the liver in the sun, it will get old and start smelling in no time," said Harry lazily as he leaned back on the grass and watched the rest of the class struggling with their charges.

It was not until the end of the class that Hagrid came over to them. He had been busy chatting away with Rose and Neville who seemed to be very friendly with the half giant. He had also had to tell the Slytherins to feed the Skrewts, unsuccessfully one might add, as the Slytherins acted more rudely and arrogantly towards Hagrid than they ever had done.

"How's it goin? Non o the others have managed to feed em yet," asked Hagrid as he leaned down to look at their Blast-Ended Skrewts.

"We got a theory we wanted to try, Professor," said Ron as he carefully pushed one of the Skrewts back and went for the liver who had started smelling in the sun. The Skrewt immediately started eating the liver. The straw looking mouth looked really creepy, and the trio preferred to look somewhere else.

"So Professor, how are your other little friends doing?"

"My other friends?" asked Hagrid and stared at them guardedly.

"Yes, Fang and the thestrals, and how about the hippogriffs, do they still live in the forest?" asked Harry curiously.

Hagrid's face seemed to close off even more and he replied harshly.

"The hippogriffs 'ave bin mov'd deeper into tha forest, they won't b' joining anymore classes."

"Why not! It was absolutely amazing when we saw them last time, we learned so much," said Hermione, confused over Hagrid's behavior.

"I don't think it's right to bring them where they get hurt," said Hagrid in a thick voice and prepared to leave. "Nice work wit the Skrewt, e likes yeh."

"But they are all okay, they must like it in the forest," said Ron, trying to cheer Hagrid up.

"How about Buckbeck?" asked Hermione quietly, having remembered the events in their third year.

"E was executed in the end of last term."

"What! No, they can't have!" stuttered Ron, making almost a goldfish impression. Harry and Hermione felt the same amount of disbelief. The rescue of Buckbeak had been one of their most certain victories. The memory of them saving both a godfather and a doomed hippogriff from the ministry had always managed to cheer them up no matter what.

"Yeah, it was that Macnair and his axe," said Hagrid his voice almost cracking.

"That's horrible, I'm so sorry Hagrid. Buckbeck was so wonderful, he didn't deserve that," said Hermione as she made a move to give him a hug. A warning look from both Harry and Ron made her hesitate and in the end she just put a comforting hand on his arm.

"'That's what I said to e committee, bunch of stuck up old geezers."

"Well they should have listened, Hippogriffs are not dangerous, just proud. If Malfoy had listened to your instruction then everything would have been fine."

"Well it's all too late now, I jus' hope e's som'where nice. But I'm sure e would have liked yea." Hagrid nodded at them and continued to Seamus and Dean who were chasing around their escaping Skrewt.

The trio looked after him feeling as though someone had just stolen away one of their victories. And Buckbeck was dead now – there was nothing they could do to change that.

"I really wish that Harry, Ron and Hermione would have helped save Buckbeck," said Hermione when they went up towards the school again.

"How would they have managed that?"

"They had a time turner, and even if they didn't they could have at least tried. If it had been us we would have figured something out!"

"They were on their own and probably didn't even know that Buckbeck was to be executed," said Ron.

"Hey, since when did you become our voice of reason?" asked Harry lightly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Poor Hagrid," sighed Ron, still unwilling to let the subject go. "He must feel awful. He loves all his little friends."

"Maybe we can visit him this weekend?" mused Hermione and looked her watch. "We need to split up, I have Arithmancy now."

"I have Divination," groaned Ron. "Mc Gonagall couldn't change it yet."

"Well I bet you could come up with some believable predictions, don't you think?" smirked Harry. "Who knows? If we could instate you as a true Seer then maybe we could have a legitimate excuse for interfering and knowing things we shouldn't."

"Nice plan, except for the fact that I won't be another Trelawney, I would like to keep my sanity."

"It was just a thought. Just imagine her reaction if you were to predict the dragons?" They arrived to the entrance hall and Harry stared confusedly at the different corridors. "Um Mione where is the Muggle studies classroom?" asked Harry, realizing that he didn't have a clue.

"It's on the fifth floor, the door is on the other side of the door."

He arrived to the Muggle studies classroom ten minutes later and found the door. Not thinking Hermione's instructions the least strange he turned from the door and grabbed an invisible door handle on the opposite wall.

_I really love Hogwarts. What other school would ever try and hide the classrooms?_ he thought fondly as he entered. There weren't many students inside and the absence of the Slytherins was obvious.

"Ah on time for once Mr Potter?" asked a slightly teasing voice from the front and Harry turned to see Charity Burbage, the young blonde teacher who Voldemort had killed personally._ I make it sound like some kind of honor that he killed her himself, _thought Harry disgusted when he realized what he had thought. _But then again __**it was**__ an honor; it meant that you had become a big enough threat towards him that he dealt with you himself. _

"We will be working in pairs today and seeing as we are uneven we'll have to have three in one group. Is there anyone who can have Potter join up?" asked the Professor and looked imploringly over the classroom.

No one answered. As the silence dragged on, Harry held his face impassive but after awhile he allowed a look of boredom to enter it. _It reminds me of preschool_, he reminisced as the students stared unashamedly at him, no one willing to let him join them.

"Hey now!" frowned the professor when no one volunteered. "Very well then I'll decide, Mr Hopkins Mr Aubrey make some space for Mr Potter," she ordered and looked at the two Hufflepuffs.

Said Hufflepuffs groaned as they shuffled as far to the left as was possible all the while glaring at him. One of them leaned forward and hissed at him. "Okay Potter, if you're going to be with us then you have to keep up. We tell you what to do and you do it! Got it?"

"Don't worry I won't lower your grades," he replied sarcastically.

"No you won't."

"So that's settled…now this lesson we will be speaking about muggle economy and how it compares to wizarding economy. Let's start with some basics. Does anyone know what muggle money is called and the exchange rates?"

Most of the students raised their hands and a brown haired girl was called upon.

"It's called pounds and the exchange is five pounds on one galleon," she said in shy voice.

"Correct, now muggle economy is a lot more complex than the wizarding one. Could any one care to guess?"

Actually finding the situation somewhat interesting Harry raised his hand ignoring the indignant groans from his workmates.

"Wouldn't it be because muggle affairs are not restricted to shops and companies but also involve stocks and shares?"

"Um you are correct Mr Potter. It seems like you have read during the holiday. However, it was not really the answer I was looking for…now can someone else make a guess?"

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"Oh dear Merlin! I have never seen such an unfortunate combination!" gasped Professor Trelawney two tables away. Neville Longbottom glared up at her in aggravation as she held up his star map where he had written down the position of the planets at his birth.

"What now!" he asked exasperated. "Because I think it there should be a limit for how many times someone can have a painful death."

"Technically you should only be able to die one time but you **are** the Boy-who-lived Neville, I'm sure Death can make an exception for you. After all, we don't want you to miss out on your death by rampaging hippogriffs or my personal favorite – being poisoned by a fangirl who mistakes a Heart stopper potion with an Amorentia," said Rose causing half of the class to snigger.

"You shouldn't ridicule the predictions. They are warnings from the higher powers," said Trelawney in a scandalized voice. "Five points from Gryffindor," she added as an afterthought as if she just now remembered that she could take points away.

The two didn't seem too concerned with the missed points. As far as Ron had seen they were quite good at gaining them back. He turned his attention over to his own planet map and made the calculations.

_Hmm, me being born when Mars and Venus is in a line and being fourteen years old will mean that my life will be uninteresting except for my death which will be part of a bigger picture I have no control over – seems like I am destined to be a victim then. _

Out of curiosity he changed his age to that of twenty one and watched as all the charts and diagrams became all wrong. _Trelawney would just love this,_ he mused as he saw how many death opportunities, possible betrayals and vital choices that suddenly appeared in his calculations.

He suddenly felt Trelawney come up to him and the strong scent of perfume accosted his sensitive nose. She leaned forward and studied all the horrifying predictions on his papers.

"Oh dear, it seems like you got everything confused…yes yes, in fact I wonder how this happened, Pluto and Mercury can't be this close. How did this happen?" she said in genuine confusion.

"I might have said that my age was twenty one," offered Ron, Trelawney made a coughing noise.

"Young man! The tellings of the planets is not something to be playing around with; you know that, you always showed such talent in this subject. It's a shame that your head of house won't let you become my apprentice," she continued in a wistful voice and gave him an apologetic smile.

_Thank you Mc Gonagall!_

"Very well if you change back your age then you will be on the right track, and a tip – be careful with the interference with the comets." Then she winked at him and continued down the table where Seamus and Dean tried to hide their giggles.

"Hey Ronnikins first time you got something wrong in divining, didn't the coffee tell you what to do in class today?" whispered Neville mockingly from the next table.

"Stupid!" interrupted Rose and swatted Neville on the arm. "Everyone knows that he gets his predictions from the bacon and egg, why else would he be stuffing himself like a pig every morning."

"True predictions come unbidden," replied Ron almost without thinking, remembering the only true prophecies he had known about.

"That was not what you said last year when you went on and on about how your breakfast told you how you were going to do on the exams. Tell us did you get full scores like you predicted?"

"Not really…" _Wish my counterpart hadn't been sprouting stupid predictions, if I'm not the slugboy I'm be the fraud seer, _he thought wistfully.

"I think that you are just as much a fraud as Trelawney is," whispered Neville in a low voice to avoid being detected.

"You never know, I for example See that someone will enter you in the tournament against your will. Have fun with that!" said Ron and hastily packed up his things as Trelawney dismissed them ten minutes earlier because somehow she divined that Peeves would show up.

_I really shouldn't have said that, Harry will be so cross with me!_ he though grumpily as he walked down the ladder, escaping the chaos that had happened as soon as Peeves had floated in and started levitating crystal balls.

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Hermione watched her two boys hurry away to their different classes before she shook her head and turned towards the Arithmancy classroom on the fourth floor. She was not far away from the classroom when she turned around a corner and came face to face with a bunch of Slytherins – sixth year Slytherins to be exact.

She watched them like a hawk as she walked past and she could feel her body tense and prepare itself for an attack. That was why, when one of the Slytherins made a grab for her book bag, she was ready for it.

She jumped back and moved her bag out of their reach, all while keeping her eyes on the two who had stepped forward, the twins that she recognized from the Slytherin table. Both were tall and muscular and had handsome faces framed by dark wavy hair. A sudden feeling of unease swept over her as she studied them, realizing that they were dangerous – really dangerous and not just some ordinary school boys.

"Look a mudblood out on her own," jeered one of the twins, a dark malicious smirk on his face.

"Thought we taught you not to travel alone. Accidents could so easily happen, as we proved last year," one sneered as he fingered his wand, spurred by the mocking smirks on the rest of the Slytherins.

"How many times were you in the hospital wing? Must have been a dozen times, but what can you expect from a disgusting lowlife such as yourself," continued his twin and Hermione felt her patience start to run thin.

She was just contemplating to just make a break for it when there was a ruckus behind her and everyone glanced around as a group of loudly chatting Ravenclaws stepped around the corner. They didn't stop but she could see their eyes take in her defensive posture and finally the four Slytherin boys. There was silence for a second before they all averted their eyes and one boy started up the conversation again, the others picking on. They hurriedly left the scene without glancing back.

_And people say that Gryffindor courage is worthless_, growled Hermione as they left a potentially defenseless girl to a bunch of Slytherins – a mudblood fourth year girl with a bunch of pureblood supremacist sixth year boys.

"Touch me and I will personally disembowel you," she hissed and pointed her wand at them.

"Don't you dare raise your wand at us you filthy mudblood!" growled one of the twins and went for his wand, the others following his motion. They hadn't even bothered with bringing them out before now.

"It seems like the brain is not yet fully developed among the mongrels, I think it needs a lesson in humility," said one of the twins.

"Maybe transforming it into a slug would teach her to respect to her betters. At least she would be closer to where she belongs – the floor," chuckled one muscular boy with brown hair. She didn't recognize him either but he somewhat resembled Macnair.

She watched them warily, knowing that she wouldn't be able to take out all of them, maybe three but not four. She was no Harry, she wasn't even up to Ron's skills – having been the charm and ward expert during the war, she hadn't been forced to do much dueling.

"Petrificus totalus," said one of the twins.

"Protego," she intoned, remembering to say it out loud instead of doing it nonverbally.

"Think you can deny us our fun, little mongrel. Flagello!" said one of the twins.

Hermione's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the Dark spell and she quickly erected a stronger shield. The orange spell soundlessly hit the spell and dissolved. She saw surprise on the Slytherins faces but she wasn't sure whether it was because of the spell itself or the fact that she had erected it at all – it was an above NEWT level spell after all.

"What? You don't think I learn anything all the time I spend in the library?" she mocked and dissolved the shield. She was just about to curse them when an angry voice cut through the air.

"What's going on here? Misters Lestranges lower your wands this instant!" the Arithmancy professor shouted outraged as she stormed towards them.

_Lestrange? _Shock and surprise filled Hermione's head as she heard the professor call the Slytherins and she found herself staring at them with unbelieving horror. _It's not possible, but still, oh dear Merlin! _She managed to get a hold of herself and stop herself from attacking them just when one of the Slytherins, _Lestrange? _opened his mouth_. _

"We were only going to show the Gryffindor a spell Professor," said Lestrange innocently as he backed up towards his friends, his brother following.

"Hmpf," growled the Professor but unable to prove anything she reluctantly let them go. "Very well, but magic is still forbidden in the hallways, a fact you should know after having spent five years in this school already. Now get out of my sight!"

The Slytherins shuffled away but not before sending Hermione a look that promised that it wasn't over yet. She was still a bit unnerved from meeting a Lestrange in Hogwarts that she missed what Professor Vector said.

"Excuse me?"

"I was wondering if you are alright. They didn't do anything did they?" asked the professor as they started walking towards the classroom.

"No they didn't get that far, just normal threats and insults, I can handle it."

"You shouldn't have to handle it," said the professor Vector fervently. "I wish that you would at least let me report them," she continued and Hermione picked up on the tone that this was an argument they had had before.

"No I don't want more trouble…but if it gets worse I will tell my head of house," she added hastily seeing as professor Vector was about to protest.

"You said that last year and look how many times you ended up in the hospital wing, I am not saying that I know what happened all those times but… please tell me if it gets worse," she pleaded the last part.

Hermione nodded, feeling oddly touched by the caring she noted in the other woman, who was actually only ten years older than her. They hadn't been close last time around; it had only been a strictly student teacher relationship. That was apparently not the case here.

"I promise I will, but you won't have to worry, I got two friends this year that will help watch my back."

"I am happy for you. Books are great companions but they can't replace real friends. And we wouldn't want Hogwarts star student to develop school tiredness now would we?" she said in a cheerful voice before adding in a lower voice. "Besides you are my favorite pupil even though we are not supposed to have favorites. But then again, I think half the staff loves you already," she finished with a happy laugh before continuing in a more sober voice.

"Nice shield charm by the way, I didn't know that you were interested in that kind of magic, it's very advanced."

_Damn, I had hoped that she hadn't seen that_, grumbled Hermione as she answered to the praise.

"You don't happen to be interested in other kinds of shields…maybe warding?"

"Oh I love warding magic! I think I must have read the entire section about it in the library already," she said excitedly even if it was a lie. She hadn't read that part because by the time she started on warding Hogwarts had belonged to Voldemort. What knowledge she had had come from various pureblooded libraries they raided. _Now that I think of it, it's going to be great to research what Hogwarts has on warding even though I suspect that all knowledge on strong wards will be in the restricted section._

"If that's so maybe I should grant you access to the restricted section, I am a bit into warding myself you see. I am no master – more like an enthusiast. If you want we could study it together and I'll give you a few pointers," she smiled.

"That's very nice of you, I'll make sure to study thoroughly before we start," she said, true excitement in her words.

"Wouldn't expect anything else from you Hermione," said the professor with a laugh and stopped. "So here we are. Ready for Arithmancy?"

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"You can't believe what happened!" hissed Hermione when she met Ron in the hallway. Ron simply raised his eyebrow and asked. "Wait for Harry?"

"Well it can wait," sighed Hermione impatiently. "How was divination?" she asked as they started towards McGonagall's classroom.

"As usual," grimaced Ron and Hermione smirked. "Only difference is that I am the star pupil in that class and no, I didn't take Harry's advice to heart."

"How amusing," drawled Hermione and almost burst into giggles as she saw Ron's indignant face.

"Oh you can laugh," grumbled Ron who had picked up on her mirth. In that moment Harry managed to catch up to them and they saw immediately that he was in a bad mood. He looked normal but they could see the dark look in his eyes and the rigid posture, a sign that he was controlling himself.

"What happened?"

"I am so sick and tired of being treated like a child!" he hissed and stalked past them almost forcing the others to run to catch up.

"Ah but wasn't that one of the things we tried to achieve here at Hogwarts?" asked Ron causing Harry to stop in front of an armor.

"Let me rephrase that – I am sick and tired of having everyone treat me like a garden gnome with below average intellect. It's like they expect me to act stupidly so they always assume that I will mess up… and I can't stand patronization." Harry finished his rant looking absolutely murderous.

Hermione, feeling that Harry needed a distraction, decided to not so subtly change the subject.

"I ran into a few sixth year Slytherins today…" she started and watched satisfied as their attention immediately focused on her, concern evident on their faces. "I'm alright," she said, answering their unasked question. "…they insulted me and tried to curse me, unsuccessfully so no need for revenge…"

"No need for revenge! I'm going to break every bone in their body...without the use of magic," growled Ron.

"There is more to it" interrupted Hermione darkly. "Two of them, twins, their name was Lestrange!"

"What? As in Bellatrix Lestrange?" gasped Harry.

"I don't know, could be some other relative, but we need to check it up. The way they acted…" continued Hermione but was interrupted as Harry made a sign with his hand. She abruptly put up muffliato and they continued down the hall.

As soon as they had continued around a corner, Ginny Weasley stepped out from the alcove she had been sitting in. She frowned at the strange things she had heard and she was more than a little shocked at how her brother had acted.

She glanced at her watch and took off towards an empty classroom, and without bothering to knock, entered.

"There is something strange with my brother!" she proclaimed to the occupants in the room sitting huddled on the floor. Said persons jolted up and tried to hide a wad of paper, but they visibly relaxed when they saw who it was. It was Rose, Neville and Matthew who, together with Ginny, was called the Lions Pride. The trio had learned during the welcoming feast that the Lions Pride were the successor of the Marauders, giving Fred and George a run for their money.

"Godric! Ginny! Don't scare us like that, we thought you were Snape," yelped Rose as she took out the book she had hidden under her skirt.

"I said there's something strange with my brother," she proclaimed again, and this time it got some reaction.

"What do you mean?" asked Matthew.

"Well, it's Harry and Hermione too. Ron threatened to break all the bones in someone's body, Harry grumbled about everyone treating him like a garden gnome and Hermione talked about meeting some Slytherins as if it was nothing."

"Not surprised by Harry and Ron, they are jerks. And Hermione must be getting used to the Slytherins by now," explained Rose.

"You'd think that she would get used to being attacked and put in the hospital wing all the time?" asked Neville incredulously.

"No but why doesn't she do anything about it? I mean, we have protected her from the Slytherins dozens of times and if she wasn't so annoying maybe more would help her, but she just continues being that arrogant know-it-all. If she changed then maybe people could stand being around her, but no she just has to act like she is better than everyone else, like they don't hurt her at all!"

"She was crying in the girl's toilet last year," muttered Ginny. "When I tried to help her she just brushed me off…she really is a stuck up…"

"Tell me again; why are we talking about the losers?" asked Matthew wearing a confused expression.

"Because they were acting strange! You should have seen them when she told them it was the Lestranges."

"Well yeah, the Lestranges are scary. Frigging maniacs the bunch of them," muttered Matthew.

"It was more like they didn't know about them at all. They were surprised that they were students here at all," explained Ginny, her face confused as she tried to solve the puzzle.

"Okay that was strange, everyone knows about the Lestranges, Harry especially since they transfigured his hair to a snake nest," said Neville as a matter of fact. "Are you sure you read their faces right? Maybe they were just scared or something?" he suggested.

"No they were definitely confused; there was something odd about them."

"Maybe they are impostors," whispered Matthew in a conspiratorial voice.

"I'm serious, we should keep an eye on them," screamed Ginny and whacked Matthew on his head.

"Calm down woman!" moaned Matthew and rubbed his head while muttering something about redheads and temper.

"Yeah yeah, we will keep an eye on them," said Neville diplomaticly. "But first we need to plan our prank on the Slytherins, I reckon that we will need at least two buckets of Grubbler's Flashing Paint and then some charm to spell it invisible…" continued Neville and looked at Rose who had started to look through the charms text she had tried to hide earlier.

For once Ginny stayed out of the planning – her mind focused on three other individuals.

"They were not acting like themselves, they were somehow…darker," she muttered only heard by Matthew who rolled his eyes.

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"Ah Miss Granger come in."

Hermione sat down on the chair in front of the desk and looked up at the one who had, in another life and place, taught her to be an animagus.

"Oh no Miss Granger, let's sit on the couch like we use to," said McGonagall and sat down in a small sofa by the window. "Tea?"

"Yes please," said Hermione taking the offered cup while wondering why the normally so strict professor was so nice all the sudden.

"Did you have a nice summer?"

"It was very interesting," said Hermione dryly, wandlessly casting a detection charm over the tea. It came up negative and she took a small sip.

"I'm glad to hear it. Now I have thought over your predicament over summer…there is a group of fifth year Ravenclaws that have started a study group together, if you want I can talk to them about letting you join them."

"That's very nice of you professor, but why?"

"I know what you are thinking Hermione," said McGonagall with a patient smile, the kind of smile adults had when they knew something that children weren't privy to. "I know that you think you can go your entire school life by yourself but trust me it will be so much easier if you share it with someone. I know it must have been tough the first few years but there is no reason to give up. Everyone needs a friend, even the intelligent."

"Oh but I have friends, Harry and Ron. We started to exchange letters over the summer and we have grown really close," she said fondly.

"Mr Potter and Mr Weasley you say?"

"Yes, they are probably outside the door waiting for me."

"Well…I don't want you to feel doubtful over your new friends Hermione but I want you to be cautious. Make sure that they are true friends and don't have other motives."

"You think they're only with me so I will help them with their school work?" asked Hermione coldly.

"Think about it Hermione!" said McGonagall sternly as if Hermione was in some kind of denial. "You are the brightest witch in your year and Mr Potter and Mr Weasley are both in the other end of the ranking. I don't want you to be hurt by them."

"That was the most despicable thing I have ever heard in my life. You haven't only insulted my intelligence but also Harry and Ron. They would never hurt me, and would sacrifice their lives for me. If you truly knew them you wouldn't be coming up with such accusations," said Hermione, truly angry. The very idea that someone would question Harry and Ron's loyalty to her was laughably in her mind.

"My apologies if I have offended you Miss Granger, but it was only out of concern that I thought I should warn you. And if what you say is true how come they haven't approached you until now?"

"Maybe they were shy? Anything else?" asked Hermione, it was quite the unnecessary question seeing as she had already stood up.

"No you are free to go down to dinner," answered a slightly bewildered Mc Gonagall.

"Thank you professor, and I apologize for my outburst it was uncalled for, but I am bit possessive over my friends," she nodded towards her head of house and went out of the door. Mc Gonagall followed her only to face Harry and Ron.

Both of them raised their eyebrows at her when she seemed to scrutinize them. Whatever she was looking for she didn't seem to find in their emotionless faces. She almost looked like she wanted to step up to them to hiss some cliché threat.

"Something the matter professor?" asked Ron politely.

"No everything is fine, continue on," she said as she managed to snap out of it but called after them as they turned to leave. "Oh and Mr Potter, I received the letter from your parents. Expect to be summoned to my office in two months time to look over your progress."

"Sure Professor, I got Hermione to help we so it won't be any problem," he said cheerfully and watched somewhat confusedly as Mc Gonagall pursed her lips and hastily went back into her room after one last glance at Hermione.

"So what was that about?" asked Ron as he too had noticed the professor's strange behavior.

"She thinks that you are only friends with me so you can use me," she sighed and explained the meeting she had just had.

"Nice going there Harry, now she will think that we are emotionally blackmailing Hermione," said Ron teasingly.

"How was I supposed to know that? I'm trying to act like a teenager, remember," groaned Harry. "I'm starting to get a headache," he grumbled.

"You are starting to get weak, you big pansy," said Ron who had seemed to be in an unusual cheerful mood the entire day.

"I just hope that nothing else will happen," sighed Harry as they reached the entrance hall which was packing with students queuing for dinner.

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!"

"Now you just jinxed us Harry," said Ron as Malfoy's voice rang out in the hall. Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned. Malfoy, Nott and Zabini were standing behind them, each looking thoroughly pleased about something.

"What?" said Ron amiably.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" said Malfoy, brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet and speaking very loudly so that everyone in the packed entrance hall could hear. "Listen to this!"

"Further mistakes at the ministry of magic, It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."

Malfoy looked up.

"Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he crowed.

Everyone in the entrance hall was listening now. Malfoy straightened the paper with a flourish and read on.

"Arnold Weasley was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene."

"And there's a picture, Weasley!" said Zabini, taking the paper from Malfoy and holding it up for everyone to see. "A picture of your parents outside their house, I believe – if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

The students were staring at Ron now, eager to see what he would do. To everyone's surprise Ron smiled before stepping up to Zabini.

"Do you mind if I take a look? Thank you," he said pointing at the Daily Prophet and taking it from Zabini before he had time to answer. "I rather like the picture. It's got a nice lighting. In any case it's better than your mansion of doom and gloom Malfoy," he said cheerfully as he looked at the picture.

"Says the one who lives in a rat's nest. Say Weasley, how does it feel being poor?"

"I don't mind, I'm sure you would cope too if the roles were reversed," said Ron in the same cheerful tone which seemed to annoy Malfoy. Harry was quite amazed at how far Ron's patience stretched today. His own was stretched to its limits already so he opted for staying quiet lest he would start torturing the annoying boy.

"As if! I am a Malfoy, we only have the best of everything unlike you Weasley. You lot seem to pick up the lowest dregs, I guess that's why you landed with the squib and the mudbl..." he didn't get to finish the sentence because it was in that moment when Harry's patience snapped. He wasn't about to let some little brat talk down to his lovers as if he were superior.

In two fast strides he stepped close to Malfoy and gripped his collar, dragging the struggling Malfoy heir closer to his face and whispered.

"Careful Malfoy, you don't wanna go too far because if you do I will finally lose my patience and I will teach you about the true meaning of pain and humiliation," he hissed before pushing him away from him. Malfoy stumbled before managing to regain his balance and he stood and straightened out his robes.

"You think you scare me, Potter?" he asked scathingly, but the trio could see the unease in his eyes. "You are more squib than wizard, will you be the next caretaker at Hogwarts Potter because I'm certain that you won't be able to do anything else."

"Hey lay off my little brother!" came Rose's voice suddenly from the hall, signifying the arrival of the Lion's Pride. Rose, Neville, Matthew and Ginny glared at the Slytherins, obviously having only seen Malfoy's latest outburst.

"See Potter, you can't do anything without having your sister helping you out," said Malfoy, looking somewhat relieved now that normal predictable Gryffindors appeared.

"And what of you then Malfoy?" said Neville heatedly. "You don't dare do anything with out your little minions flanking you!"

"What can I say, I'm a Slytherin, not a brain-damaged Gryffindor."

"I would take bravery over a slimy snake any day," said Matthew.

"But we weren't speaking about bravery, you blood traitor. We were speaking about the utter stupidity and boldness among the Gryffindors," interrupted a new voice and they noticed the blond girl that had stepped out from one corridor and Harry noted that the students had divided up in houses with the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws at the sides. Gryffindor stood opposite to Slytherin, flanked by the Lion's Pride, just as Malfoy, Nott and Zabini flanked the Slytherins. The girl joined Malfoy's crew and smirked towards Matthew who was positively fuming.

"Shut it Lestrange, this doesn't involve you," growled Matthew.

_How many Lestranges are there in Hogwarts?_ thought three individuals at the same time, vexed but not overly chocked anymore. The three of them stood in the middle of it all and couldn't really escape anywhere – at least not if they wanted to stay unnoticed.

"But cousin, you are insulting my house, I have to retaliate," said Celeste Lestrange sweetly.

"You are not my cousin; remember my dad erased you from the family tree!"

"That blood traitor is no Black, not since he married a filthy muggle!"

"Don't you dare insult my mother!" screamed Matthew, now being restrained by Ginny and Rose.

"You are all being ridiculous," said Harry loudly as the insults continued to go back and forth between the two houses. Everyone's attention went back to Harry who just looked annoyed. "Just look at you! Insulting each other's house. At least you can insult each other. Insult Malfoy for being a bigoted pureblood or Neville for being an arrogant brat, just don't drag in the rest of us and our houses! Come on let's go," he said to Ron and Hermione who followed him, the crowd parting for them.

Suddenly Malfoy threw a curse at Harry's retreating back. Harry easily dodged the white curse Malfoy sent at him and he quickly span around. He didn't get a chance to curse Malfoy back however as a roar was heard.

"Oh no you don't laddie!" screamed Moody/Crouch as he marched up to them as quickly as his wooden leg would allow. Malfoy jumped and had time for one fearful expression before Moody/Crouch waved his wand and Malfoy was turned into a white ferret.

There was a stunned silence in the hall as everyone stared at the shivering ferret on the floor.

"Are you okay?" asked Moody/Crouch as his normal eye stared at Harry. Not feeling particularly fond or even intimidated of the Death Eater Harry only nodded tersely.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Moody/Crouch suddenly as he turned around and stalked up towards Zabini and Nott who had tried to reverse the spell.

Malfoy squeaked in terror and tried to run away but Moody/Crouch pointed his wand at the ferret causing him to flow up in the air and sail towards the Defense teacher.

The scene played out exactly as it had last time around but this time Harry didn't feel any amusement from Malfoy's humiliation. The only thing he could think of was that a Death Eater was toying with a child, a Malfoy but still a child.

"I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again - it flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more.

"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain.

By now everyone was laughing at the bouncing ferret, the Gryffindors the loudest. The Slytherins with Celeste Lestrange in the lead looked furious but being unable to attack a teacher they turned to the Gryffindors.

"You think this is funny do you, Petrificus Totalus!" she screamed and sent the body bind towards Matthew who easily blocked it.

"It **is **funny Lestrange!" shouted Ginny as she sent back what looked like a hair coloring curse.

"Lets save Malfoy from the D,E," murmured Harry to Ron and Hermione who looked absolutely disgusted with how the situation had progressed.

"Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do…" said Moody/Crouch as he made the ferret soar high up in the air. The ferret squeaked in pain as it started to fall down again. Harry caught Hermione's eyes and she nodded resolutely. They needed no words to know what to do.

Harry waved his hand and complete darkness enveloped the room for a second. It wasn't shadow magic but dark magic. He had actually learnt it from Voldemort during one of their countless duels.

When the darkness disappeared the ferret was gone as well as Hermione. Moody/Crouch searched wildly around, his eyes spinning in its socket, but before he could do anything a new voice shouted out over the chaos.

"What's the meaning of this!" the entrance hall which had been full of fighting students immediately stilled as no one dared to challenge the strict transfiguration teacher.

"I was just teaching a lesson," said Moody/Crouch his eye still spinning around the hall trying to find the missing ferret. "But it seems like the little miscreant got away!"

"Little miscreant?" repeated Mc Gonagall faintly before her eyes widened. "That ferret! Don't tell me it was a student!" she gasped and stared at Moody who was still searching the room.

"Moody, we don't transfigure students, where is he? We must turn him back immediately!"

"He managed to escape, someone who knew dark magic managed to create a diversion," he said, his eyes settling suspiciously on Celeste Lestrange.

Lestrange was sporting red hair but managed to stare proudly back at the disfigured teacher, her eyes radiating defiance.

"I didn't do anything," she said in a haughty voice, somehow managing to look like an innocent little girl.

"No students have that kind of knowledge in dark magic Moody," defended Mc Gonagall.

"But some might have snapped it up from some of their… relatives."

"Enough of this now!" snapped Mc Gonagall. "We need to find the student before he gets injured. Everyone get into the Great Hall now!" she shouted in her no nonsense voice and the entrance hall slowly emptied.

The Slytherins stood indecisive for awhile before Celeste jerked her head towards the Great Hall in a silent command. The Slytherins who saw it all trotted into the hall, leaving only Lestrange, Nott and Zabini.

Harry and Ron walked past them as they went out of the entrance hall and managed to catch pieces of their whispered conversation.

"What about Draco?" said Nott worriedly.

"I don't think he wants us to go looking for him, but I don't like the idea of Moody finding him first," said Zabini as his gaze swept over the entrance hall in the hope of finding the small ferret.

"How dare he do that to Draco! Wait until I tell mother!" hissed Lestrange her eyes revealing the rage and resentment she was feeling. "We will make them pay for this!"

With that the Slytherins entered the Great Hall while Harry and Ron disappeared into an empty classroom. They found Hermione sitting cross legged on top of one of the desks, the shaking ferret struggling to free itself.

"Just turn him back," sighed Harry, all the previous resentment at Malfoy forgotten. Hermione did as she was told and Malfoy slid down from her lap and landed in a heap on the floor.

He made a quite pitiful picture as he lay shaking on the floor seemingly unable to look up.

"Are you okay Malfoy?" asked Hermione gently as she put a hand on his shoulder. He didn't answer and Hermione made a humming noise before waving her wand and casting a light calming charm on him.

Malfoy's breathing evened out and he sat up. His hair was all tussled and he was blood red in the face. It was not until now that he discovered that he was all alone surrounded by Gryffindors.

"What do you want?" asked Malfoy defensively, well aware of the fact that he didn't quite knew where his wand was.

"It is more of what we don't want. We don't really like seeing a fellow student, no matter how annoying he is, being hurt by a De…member of authority," said Harry while handing back his wand.

"I don't want any help from Gryffindorks," he sneered, conveniently forgetting that he was outnumbered.

"Well now you got it. Maybe you should act a bit more careful next time," said Ron curtly as he stared unimpressed at the Slytherin.

"Ron is right Malfoy, you are a Slytherin after all," said Harry and ignored how Malfoy tensed at this. "Slytherin are sly and cunning, and baiting people like you did is a very Gryffindor thing to do."

He looked over to Hermione who jumped off the desk and joined them at the door. Before they headed out he nodded towards Malfoy.

"Think of who you are and what you want Malfoy. When you get that part right act like a Slytherin and achieve your goal. Have a nice evening," he finished his rather deep advice and ignored the fact that Malfoy probably wouldn't have a nice evening after all this.

"That was a strange advice to give to a Death Eater in training. You could as well have told him not to have any scruples in torturing children," commented Ron as they walked towards the Great Hall.

"Malfoy never seemed so interested in following Voldemort," answered Harry.

"You think he might defect to the light?" asked Hermione.

"Anything is possible, especially if we are here to interfere. Maybe we can convince him to join the grey."

"Don't meddle too much Dumbledore," teased Ron, causing Harry to stealthily stick out his foot and trip Ron.

"Don't say such foul words Ron," warned Harry as he stepped over his sprawled form, Hermione following with an amused smile.

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The trio had only one more thing to do that day and they quietly left the table. Dinner had been quite a loud affair as three of the tables were happily retelling the story of what had happened to Malfoy. The only ones who didn't show any merriment were, understandably, the Slytherins. Malfoy, who had entered the Great Hall under whispers and laughter, sat sulking at the table, still a bit flustered. The other Slytherins were in the same mood as they glared at the rest of the students.

The trio left the Great Hall unnoticed and headed for the seventh floor. Hermione cast almost subconsciously a perimeter ward as they arrived to the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Harry walked past the tapestry three times.

_I need a place to hide something, I need a place to hide something._ At the third time the door to the Room of Requirement showed up and they quickly went inside.

Like the last time they had done this the room was filled with enormous piles of hidden and forgotten objects. There were broken brooms, outdated books and oddly transformed teapots.

"The diadem was somewhere over there wasn't it?" asked Ron, gesturing vaguely towards a towering pile of chairs and umbrellas.

"I think so, let's have look," said Harry and the three of them started walking.

"It's actually quite interesting walking here when it isn't a battle outside," said Ron as he tried to drag a distant Hermione who had lost herself into an old tome.

"There are centuries of hidden books here. Some of them might be the only ones of their kind," sighed Hermione as she gave the books a wistful look.

"Don't worry Mione, we can come back here later, so you can find the rare tomes underneath all these sixty year old textbooks," said Ron but he gallantly took the book she had been immersed in and put it in his bag.

"Here it is!" yelled Harry suddenly who had walked ahead of them. They sped up and soon they were all staring at the diadem that lay innocently on top of the stone warlock.

"This is proof that the Horcruxes exist here too," breathed Harry and extended a hand to take it only to be held back by Hermione.

"There might be curses on it," she warned and raised her wand.

There hadn't been in their old dimension but they couldn't be sure if everything was the same here so Harry nodded and allowed Hermione to go through every detection charm she knew. It turned up negative and Harry gently touched the diadem.

"Fiendfire?" he suggested.

"I guess it's for the best. It's a shame to destroy such an old artifact though, but it can't be helped," sighed Hermione.

Ron had cleared away some space while they talked and Harry put down the diadem on the floor. Ron and Hermione backed away, knowing fully well the danger of Fiendfire.

Harry took a deep breath as he filled his mind with the intent of destroying the diadem. Fiendfire worked that way. It was impossible to stop until it had destroyed its intended prey. Nothing would stop it from devouring the diadem once he cast it, very much like what had happened to Hermione's parents.

He didn't even bother with his wand as he waved his hand and wordlessly summoned the Fiendfire. It appeared as a hissing fire serpent as it snaked around the diadem making it glow from the heat. The fire serpent tightened its coils until the diadem cracked. A faint scream emitted from the diadem, causing Harry's hair to stand. The fire serpent hissed incited and seemed to grow rapidly as it searched out a new prey. But before it managed to burn anything else Harry had quelled it.

"Well that was somewhat anticlimactic," drawled Ron as they all looked at the ashes from the once Horcrux.

"It was, wasn't it? just imagine one Horcrux gone, just like that," said Harry before hastily adding. "… not that I miss all the pain and hardships usually involved."

"We have already done it once before, of course it was anticlimactic – this is routine," said Hermione as she vanished the ashes.

"Only we can speak about killing soul pieces of a Dark Lord as routine," muttered Harry feeling relieved and strangely drained.

"I love our life, never dull or boring," said Ron, his high sprits refusing to wane.

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Took me ages to write this chapter but it's finally finished – enjoy!


	12. New life but old wounds remain

It was an early September morning and the Hogwarts grounds were damp and misty – the sun barely reached over the hills, and even if the blue sky promised a sunny day the grounds were still damp and chilling. The castle, forest and lake made a beautiful picture just like they had done for a thousand years. It was a calm picture – in the early morning one could almost believe that the castle was uninhabited

The trio had been at Hogwarts for a few days now and already they had fallen into some kind of routine. Every morning they sneaked out on the grounds for a run – they were planning on doing it all year round so as to get them used to all kinds of weather. It was already a bit cold now in the early morning, and their shoes kept getting wet.

Harry thought it was amazing how easily he had fallen back into the simple and uncomplicated school life, but then again – Hogwarts had always felt like his first home.

As for being twenty-years-old war veterans… no one had caught up to them yet, but that might have been because no one in the school cared to look twice at them. As long as they kept somewhat silent and didn't draw any attention to themselves they would remain undiscovered. Even if they had done a few things that a shy and bullied fourth year would never had done.

In classes they tried to keep a low profile, but it wasn't easy. No one was surprised when Hermione managed to cast the spells, but it was a different story with Harry and Ron. As far as they could tell both boys had been absolutely rubbish in most subjects, and it seemed that the teachers were content as long as they held the wand in the right end. When they had had Charms on Tuesday Flitwick had been overwhelmed when Ron had managed his shrinking charm on his first try. Flitwick had showed Ron's shrunken chair to the class and he earned ten points to Gryffindor.

Then there was Potions – dreaded by students no matter what dimension.

-Flashback-

It was a Wednesday afternoon when they followed the rest of the Gryffindors down to the dungeons where they met up with the Slytherins. It seemed destined that those two houses would share that particular class. The students alternatively stared uneasily and glared at each other for a few tense minutes before Snape swept around the corner and he opened the door while snapping at them to get inside. Harry and Ron shared a look – it seemed that Snape still was his normal disagreeable self.

They went inside and Harry surveyed the dank classroom and the students who quickly went to their places. They were all the same, or almost. Neville, who was sitting with Rose, seemed perfectly at ease as he put up his cauldron and tools. Rose on the other hand looked grim and resolute, Neville kept whispering silently to her as she glared at Snape. Surprisingly Snape completely ignored Neville, the boy-who-lived, and focused instead on Rose.

"Seems like it wasn't your celebrity status that irked Snape then," whispered Ron to Harry. Harry grimaced. _Like I didn't already know that! _

Hermione got whisked away the moment they entered and she was currently sitting with Parvati Patil – who had her back at her and was chatting with Lavender Brown and the other Gryffindor girl whose name was Gwendolyn Springflower.

Ron grabbed Harry's sleeve and dragged him to the side of the room and moved to sit down when Snape's voice cut through the classroom.

"Potter! Weasley! What are you doing?" he barked in a voice that promised no mercy.

"We are sitting down, sir," said Harry politely, giving him a weird look for asking.

"And why are you sitting there? I have told you two dunderheads again and again that you are sitting in front of the class where I can keep an eye on you. Even if you will never reach an adequate level I tire of having you stay after every class cleaning up your miserable attempts at potions brewing," said Snape condescendingly.

"In front of you sir?" questioned Harry in an unruffled voice, both inwardly and outwardly completely indifferent.

"Yes, unless you think you are proficient enough to brew the same potions as your classmates. However I doubt it," he said and gestured for them to sit at the desk right in front of the teacher.

"I think that I am capable of brewing a hair growing potion, professor," said Harry flippantly but swept down and sat on the appointed chair. Snape seemed stumped for a second at his reply but a second later a sneer formed on his face.

"**You** think so, Mr Potter?" he asked slowly and raised an eyebrow. "Unfortunately, it is not you who are the judge of that, so you will continue to brew the Sunblock potion. You have already tried to brew it five times last year, and I'll have you continue to try until you succeed. But Potter, something tells me that you will continue to try the entire year," he mocked and this time the loathing was clearly noticeable in his voice.

"But if we manage to brew it, will we be able to brew the same things as the rest of the class?" asked Ron.

"Managing to brew one simple third year potion when you are supposed to be able to brew fourth year ones, does not mean you are on the same level as the other students," said Snape and turned away.

"Can you brew a Sunblock potion?" whispered Ron to Harry who snorted.

"Of course I can! The question is – should I?" he said with a hint of indecision.

"Do it. You could always say that you practiced during summer. We were supposed to get better grades anyway so better start improving now. I'll go and get the ingredients," and with that Ron disappeared to the supply shelf.

Harry started setting up their workplace and lit the fire under the cauldron. Soon Ron came back and Harry promptly set him to peel caterpillar cocoons.

He smiled when he watched Ron work the cocoons with a face of concentration, completely submerged in his task – and still able to keep half an eye on the rest of the class. Especially the Slytherins, so when Nott inconspicuous aimed a Runspoor fang at their cauldron, Ron was able to deflect it.

Ron halted his cocoon peeling when the fang he had deflected fell onto their desk. He looked around the classroom before glancing at Harry, who smirked and discreetly waved his hand towards the Slytherin, wandlessly banishing the legs to Nott's cauldron.

The cauldron fell down, and the half finished potion splashed over Nott's lap. Nott got up and swore viciously, causing everyone to look his way and the Gryffindors to snigger – it was always unusual that Slytherins had misfortunes in Potions.

Snape immediately swooped down and cast one look at the cauldron before looking out over the classroom.

"Whoever did this can expect detentions from now until Christmas," he said in a deadly voice. The class was silent and most, especially the Gryffindors, did their best to look innocent or at least try to stop grinning.

Snape especially looked at Neville and Rose, who didn't exactly hide their gleeful expressions. He however, didn't comment on it. Harry wondered silently if he had performed Legilimency on them and knew they were innocent. That gave birth to a lot of disconcerting thoughts when he remembered all those times he had lied to Snape.

Snape ignored Harry and Ron completely the entire lesson. It was only when they handed over the perfectly brewed potion that he stopped to examine them closer.

"What is this?" he asked, slowly holding up the vial and staring at it suspiciously.

"It's our potion sir," said Ron.

"And how come you have managed to brew an adequate potion after having failed every attempt since first year?"

Contempt stirred within Harry at those words. _Adequate! The entire potion is bloody perfect! The consistence, the colour, the smell – it's a perfectly brewed potion. _

"If it's only adequate sir, could you please point out the faults in the potion?" asked Ron who had obviously noticed Harry's annoyance.

"The colour is off, it should be more orange. I think it will be a zero for you this time too. Maybe I should start removing points for faulty potions. That might inspire you to work harder and stop wasting my time," he sneered and glared at them. Harry noticed that it was the same glare that Snape used to use on poor Neville in their potions class. It was a glare that had reduced many students to tears and added to the fearsome reputation of the potions professor.

Harry and Ron were unimpressed though.

"You are the teacher and you grade us as you see fit, no matter if you see faults or if you have to make them up. Either way, it's inconsequential to us," said Harry and turned to leave.

"Watch your tongue Potter before you land yourself a detention," hissed Snape, but Harry was already outside the door.

-End flashback-

Well that had been Snape in all his glory, and Harry, who had been somewhat indecisive over how to treat Snape, came to a decision. It might be true that he was on their side in the war and for that Harry would cooperate with the man, but Harry would never trust the man – would never trust him with the safety of his lovers.

He ran past an old oak tree, which marked were they had started their run around the lake. Harry, brought out from his musings, took the time to look over at Ron and Hermione, who ran with him. Ron was faring best, having obviously trained during the summer, for he easily sprinted a few steps ahead of Harry at all times. He didn't even looked flustered, compared to Hermione who was blood red in the face and whose huffing, puffing and wheezing breathing could probably be heard all over the grounds.

After another five minutes, he decided to take pity on her and stopped. He stood still on the grass, willing his own breathing to slow down as Hermione fell to the ground beside him, gasping for air. Ron had noticed them stop and had turned back to them and was now in the middle of a few stretching exercises.

"Honestly Mione! Did you exercise at all this summer?" he asked amusedly as she continued to groan. Hermione ignored the question in favor of more grousing.

"I hate running!" she said for what must have been the hundredth time this week. It had almost become her mantra as she was running. _I hate running I hate running I hate running I hate running. _

Even if she couldn't see their faces she knew they were laughing at her.

"I mean it, I hate the way my body feels like it's about to break apart and knowing that I'm forcing my body through this torture of my own free will!"

"But you still do it. Doesn't it give you some sense of accomplishment that you succeed in something that doesn't come easily for you?" said Harry as he too started to stretch.

Hermione popped up on her elbows and stared at them, still unwilling to get up. "I guess, but I'm not willing to see any form of logic or reason until my body stops shaking," she said sternly and added in a whining voice, "I really hate running!"

"Come on Hermione, you better starts stretching now, otherwise you'll be as stiff as if you were petrified," said Harry and managed to coax her into going through her exercises.

"Isn't it a shame that strength and muscles aren't something you can get by cheating with magic?" said Ron as they went to sit down at the Gryffindors' table to eat breakfast after their work out.

"You can," said Hermione absentmindedly as she slowly sat down at the table, her face carefully neutral now when they were in front of others. "My entire body feels like it's been hit by a partly paralyzing curse…and a crucio," she sighed and continued grumbling. "Adding to that it's my period now, so you better treat me like a glass doll this week otherwise I'll hex your bits off."

Harry and Ron knew better than to laugh this time and instead started filling their plates, trying to avoid staring as Hermione poured waste quantities of sugar and syrup on her pancakes.

"I know I don't usually eat sweets, but I deserve it," she said firmly and took a large bite.

Harry was about to answer when screams were heard from behind them. They quickly got up (Hermione a bit slower than usual) but they didn't bother to take out their wands this time.

There eyes found the Slytherin table were at least half of the students had had a sudden change of hair colour. Most of the girls were sporting red while the boy had chock pink hair. _They don't look too bad,_ thought Hermione privately as she sat down and continued eating. _There_ _is nothing irreversible or any transfigured canary birds. In fact the most amusing thing has to be the look on their faces, _she thought with a small smile as she saw the students point at each other with horrified expressions.

Celeste, who had been sitting close to Draco, waved her wand franticly in the air in a desperate attempt to get rid of the Gryffindor red colour. Draco laughed at her panic until she seemed to stop her attempt for a second to snidely point out his new pink hair colour.

Harry snickered silently as he saw Draco grab a spoon and wanly tried to smooth down the hair before helping Celeste come up with a counter curse. He let his eyes stray back to the Gryffindor table and saw the Lions Pride sitting close together, trying their best to suppress the giggles that escaped them every time they looked towards the Slytherin table.

"Nice prank," called Harry over to them, causing them to look up as one.

"What makes you think that it was us?" said Matthew with an innocent expression.

"Please, beside the fact that you look way too smug while trying to act innocent, you have been whispering about it in the dorm the entire week," said Ron, joining the conversation.

"I'm sorry, we can't take credit for this magnificent prank as doing so would inevitable lead to a date with McGonagall," smirked Neville.

"In any case, it seems like your prank will be rather short lived," commented Harry and nodded towards the Slytherin table where Snape was in the process of reversing the coloring.

"He won't succeed. It's a hair changing potion, so they'll need the antidote," said Neville smugly, but the smile fell when the seventh year Slytherin they had noticed before rose. Nonchalantly, he tapped them with his wand, and they watched as the students regained their original hair colour.

"No! Not fair! We worked on that prank for a week," groaned Rose as the pink and red colors disappeared from the other table.

"How did he do it? You need a reversing potion at the very least!" whispered Ginny dismayed. "Do you think they knew of the prank in advance?"

"More likely that he didn't reverse the potion, just performed some glamours over them," said Harry to Hermione and Ron who nodded. The Lion's Pride had obviously heard and seemed to think he had a point.

"That's definitely not fair. Now we'll have to find something else to do," said Matthew.

"Not today, we have homework to finish," said Rose and Neville at the same time.

"So I have found the lists of all students in the castle plus everyone who has graduated the last two years," said Hermione and slammed down several thick books on their table. The bang echoed in the silent library, where they had transferred to after transfiguration class. From old habit, they glanced around for Madam Pince to come hounding them, but when it didn't happen, they relaxed. Hermione put up a few silencing and privacy wards and continued. "Most are names we recognize or at least Ron, but there are a few new ones."

"Like having a few more Bones than I remember. Look at this Cylinda Bones that graduated last year – don't recall her name from our time around," said Harry as he looked through the list of graduated students.

"Come on check the list of Slytherin students. They should be self-updating," said Hermione who was submerged in the Rawenclaw list.

Ron grabbed the Slytherin list and silently went over all the names, starting with the first years. His eyes flashed in recognition several times and he couldn't help but comment on a few. "Hmm…Rufus Carrow and Lucien Yaxley are two of the first years, I remember them being sorted, wonder if they are Death Eater spawn…oh Malfoy has a sister in second year!" he exclaimed suddenly as he came further down the list. "Gibbon…another Yaxley…Lestrange…Jugson…hey wasn't Burke a Death Eater?...Lestrange again, Macnair…the entire house is just a big nesting place for Death Eaters!" he exclaimed aghast.

"It wasn't like that in our universe. Wonder why they are so, for lack of a better word, productive in this universe," said Harry as he leaned forward and studied the list.

"Well, we can't be sure that they are children of Death Eaters – could be distant relatives, who are unfortunate to have the same name," said Hermione.

"But some of these names, like Lestrange, don't have any other relatives left. They have to be from Rodolphus and Bellatrix or Rabastan, it…" he was about to say more when he noticed the sudden widening of Harry's eyes.

"You won't believe it! I know who that seventh year is: Crouch!"

"What!"

"Look here, seventh year Slytherin Aloysius Crouch," said Harry and pointed at the last name.

"He could be the son of Crouch senior – he is the minister in this place," said Hermione thoughtfully.

"Or he could be the son of Crouch Junior, the Death Eater. That's a bit more disturbing, but I don't see how he could get a son," continued Harry.

"Maybe he never went to Azkaban. He could have been hiding"

"Posing as our DADA teacher you mean. Or they never discovered that he was a Death Eater, remember, there was no scandal preventing Crouch from becoming minister. Maybe he is just acting like a normal guy, working at the ministry or something."

"We're forgetting one thing," said Hermione suddenly. "Aloysius is older than us, so he must have been born in the middle of the war. Maybe he was killed in our time. We shouldn't make this more than it is – maybe Crouch Jr went to Azkaban here and Aloysius was raised by his grandfather. We shouldn't start wild theories before we know more."

"You're right, the parents aren't listed, so he could just be a distant relative. We'll have to take a look at older Daily Prophets or maybe more books related to the aftermath of the war. We didn't have any of those at home," said Harry.

"We need more than that," sighed Ron. "If more Death Eaters escaped Azkaban…we need an Azkaban register I think, and trial protocols – the ministry has those, but you have to make a formal request to be able to view them. They won't let three fourteen year olds look through them."

"Can't you ask Percy? He must have snapped up something and he won't suspect your questions," asked Harry and Ron nodded thoughtfully.

"This is really freaky. We have so many Death Eater names here, it's making me nervous. Many inner circle names, we have no idea how they have been brought up, they could be secretly preparing to take over Hogwarts for all we know," said Hermione. "We can be quite sure that they believe in pureblood supremacy at the very least."

"Can't help but think that this shifts the balance of power in Voldemort's favor," said Ron.

"Lucky that we happened to come by….It's almost as if it was **meant **happen," said Harry sarcastically.

"Maybe you are meant to have the Prophecy in this world too?" suggested Hermione.

"No!" said Harry sharply. "It only ever spoke about one Dark Lord, singular, I have done my part – this Voldemort is Neville's headache."

"Well I don't know about that. You are The Harry Potter, and technically you have never defeated the Dark Lord in this life," said Ron easily. Harry didn't answer but his face was suddenly dangerously blank and his eyes had an angry glint in them. Ron suddenly recalled that Harry was extremely sensitive about the whole prophecy thing and, upon realizing that he had taken it too far, tried to take his words back. Lest he would be cursed or something else unpleasant.

"But I don't think that of course! You don't have to obey an old prophecy. You are powerful enough to screw fate over," he said in a brave attempt at a joke.

Harry's demeanor didn't change but the tension in the air rose and they could feel his magic stir restlessly before disappearing inside him again. He let out a weary sigh.

"I know, and whatever comes we'll deal with it," he said in a detached sort of way and Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. It seemed that Harry was about to lose himself in one of his reminiscing moods. He would mull over all his memories, all the what-ifs, all the mistakes and all the self-blame that came from the time of the war. Whenever he fell into one of those small depressions he would be very distant and unresponsive, even to Ron and Hermione. There wasn't much they could do but force him away from that flood of dark and depressing thoughts. They usually tried to make sure he never descended into one in the first place.

"Come on Harry! Snap out of it," said Hermione and forcefully poked him on his shoulder. He tensed for a second, showing how deep in thought he'd been, before his body went back to his previous aloof manner. "We have Defense in fifteen minutes, and you need all your attention in that Death Eater class," said Hermione nonchalantly but her face told another story.

She was hesitant to attend the class, partly because just being in the same room and listening to, one of those murdering bastards made bile rise up in her throat. Just the very idea to not punish him went against all her instincts and principles. She wanted to hurt him. She wanted to serve judgment and bring forth punishment.

Of course the other reason for her aversion to the class was the fact that she didn't know how Harry and Ron were going to act. They hadn't really talked about how they were going to treat him. So far they had decided that they wouldn't do anything to him yet, but that didn't cover their attitude towards him. And one look at Harry's intense eyes and Ron's cold and hard face told her that maybe they should have talked this over before the class. Blatant disrespect and hatred could go a long way in revealing their secret.

Harry turned towards her, and his eyes visibly regained their focus as he finally saw her. He gave her a small nod of thanks and understanding. All of them stood up and collected all the books, Hermione berating Ron for upsetting Harry. "You are so insensitive sometimes, think before you speak will you? Harry is sensitive – you know that." Her hurried whispers carried over to Harry, who smiled despite himself. Hermione would, no matter what, always be Hermione, that prim little girl who would always keep them in line.

A few years earlier he would have blown up on her for calling him sensitive and thus indicating that he was weak. Now though it just filled him with warmth and a feeling of familiarity. And he couldn't really deny that he was sensitive, for his mind **was **fragile and easily shattered after the war. He knew it was true and didn't deny it. He had come to accept it and was relieved that she was there to take care of him.

"Wonder if Aloysius knows that Crouch is impersonating Moody?" as he put their quills back in his bag. They hadn't made any notes – preferring to not have any valuable information on easily-stolen paper.

"Doesn't really matter does it? It's not like we can find out," dismissed Hermione and went to put the list back. "At least twenty students had Death Eater relations," they heard her mutter before disappearing around a corner.

"You could always check his mind," whispered Ron when she was out of hearing.

"I thought about it too, just a quick peak to see who his father is, but you better consult Percy too," nodded Harry.

They left the library and walked towards the Defense classroom, mindful of all the students running all around them.

They turned around a corner and came face to face with the one they had been discussing. Aloysius Crouch didn't deign them a glance as they passed. He was speaking silently to two fellow Slytherins. One was leaning against the window and seemed to follow Crouch's every word but the second one turned around slightly and glared at the trio.

Suddenly Harry tensed as he became acutely aware of something moving towards him. His mind automatically told him what kind of attack it was and it was as if his body acted on its own accord. In the span of two seconds he had spun around, dodged the yellow curse and shot off a stunner.

It was when he had slipped into a well-practiced defensive position that he first caught up with the situation. To his side stood Ron and Hermione, both had assumed their own battle stances. Harry had positioned himself in front of Hermione, leaving her with the space to cast the more time-consuming spell work. Ron had positioned himself so he was covering their backs.

Ron blinked and focused on the three Slytherins who had attacked them. It seemed as if Harry and Hermione too had retaliated before fully registering the situation. One Slytherin lay slumped on the floor obviously stunned, while the other one cradled his wand arm which seemed to have been turned into stone. It was only Crouch that was unharmed, having been able to cast a shield charm in time.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? Three very jumpy little Gryffindors," said the one they had recognized as Aloysius Crouch. He held himself aloof and acted as if they hadn't just attacked three fourth years and said fourth years were now standing in battle positions with their wands raised.

Ron turned slightly so that he was facing them while relaxing his stance a bit so it didn't look too strange. Harry and Hermione did the same, Harry going so far as to putting his wand back in his pocket, which didn't mean much seeing as he could wandlessly summon it to his hand in a blink of an eye.

"With good reason too," said Harry in a curt voice. "After this morning, we figured that the Slytherins would be out for revenge."

"That childish little prank!" snorted Crouch. "Well it served to amuse everyone else in the school. We just wanted to prank back. Wouldn't it be funny?" he said in an unsmiling voice.

"I think your opinion of funny is rather warped if you think that a bladder-shrinking curse is funny," Harry pointed out in a bland voice.

"So you recognized the curse," stated Crouch but they could hear that he was intrigued. "I'm impressed, not many would."

"It is not difficult to recognize it if you have been victim to it," said Hermione icily. "You tend to pick it up."

Crouch's eyes strayed from Harry and settled on Hermione.

"I'm not surprised that you know little mudblood. You think that you will become equal to us if you pretend to be intelligent," he sneered oblivious to Ron's tensing fist. Hermione gave him a warning look before her eyes swiveled back to Crouch.

"There is only magic, either you have it or not. Blood holds no importance – anyone with the slightest bit of intelligence knows that…" she said and prepared to continue, giving Crouch no chance to interrupt her tirade.

_And a perfect opportunity presents_ _itself,_ mused Harry silently as Crouch did his best to counter Hermione's words. _If_ _I can look into his mind when he is distracted… _

He glanced at Ron, who seemed to understand what he was about to do and nodded. Without any hesitation he took a deep breath and looked the Slytherin in the eyes. He easily slipped inside his mind but, once in there, the tricky part started.

Quick glimpses of insignificant memories flickered before him so quickly that he couldn't make out anything from it. He concentrated and hooked a memory.

"_And now we will be revising the cheering charm. Can anyone tell me the incantation and what to think of while casting? Mr Crouch?" _

_A third year Slytherin with golden brown hair looked up and replied in a prim voice. _

"_The incantation is Hilaresco and…_

The memory slipped away and was replaced by another one.

_He stood among other fifth years in the Slytherins stands. They were all screaming their throats raw. _

"_Go Malfoy! Faster!" the urging came from himself and dozens of others. The two seekers were shoulder to shoulder, flying across the Quidditch pitch in breathtaking speed, causing the other players to fly out of the way. _

_They let out a collective groan when Neville Longbottom yet again caught the snitch. _

The memories kept coming quicker and quicker and Harry had to admit that the other indeed had had Occlumency training. The shields were adequate. He could sense the memories he were looking for but he couldn't access them without alerting the Slytherin of his presence. Cursing softly, he withdrew back into his own mind, closing his eyes as he did so to get rid of the weird sensation that followed.

When he opened his eyes, he found that Crouch was staring at him. Staring and frowning.

"Was there something else you wanted?" Harry asked. "If not, you better go to the hospital wing and get that arm looked at – petrifying can have nasty side effects."

Crouch looked angry, and his wand was half-raised when he unexpectedly smiled and put his wand away.

"Oh I like this. We'll see how long we can evade each other and how long your newfound wit will save you. We can always postpone our revenge," he said as he helped the now enervated Slytherin up and all three of them walked away in the direction of the hospital wing. Before they disappeared round the corner he turned around. "The challenge has been issued. Beware of dark corridors from now on," he smirked and disappeared.

"Okay, what was that about?" muttered Hermione, but was distracted when Ron turned to Harry.

"Well did you find anything?" he asked and Harry winced when Hermione looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"What were you supposed to find?" she asked in a hard voice.

_Thanks Ron, really discrete_, he thought sullenly before smiling confidently at Hermione.

"I was looking into his mind to see who he was," he said, his voice revealing that he didn't regret doing so.

"We are not supposed to look into the minds of others, it's wrong…" said Hermione wearily but didn't put up as much a fight as usual.

"I don't think he is that innocent. He's got shields, which means that he has something to hide," said Harry quickly. He might not regret his actions but he wanted to have them justified.

"How strong were his shields?" asked Ron curiously.

"Average I guess, strong enough for him to notice me had I dug deeper."

"So we'll still have to consult the books then," said Hermione smugly.

"You know, we could always just kidnap him, break through his mind and then obliviate him," said Ron, only half joking.

"Voldemort or Dumbledore would notice if they went digging," said Harry at the same time as Hermione.

"As long I'm a member of this team we won't be doing that to anyone who isn't a Death Eater or evil. I won't have you two turn all Dark Avengers," said Hermione and continued towards the Defense classroom.

"A little bit too late to prevent me from going Dark," said Harry good-naturedly.

They were among the last to enter the Defense classroom, for all the other Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students had arrived extra early to get good seats. Neville and Rose had managed to get places in the front and were eagerly watching the door.

The trio went to the far back, but knowing Moody/Crouch that would only serve to make him notice them more. An expectant silence clamped over the class as the clanking from Moody/Crouch's wooden leg echoed in the hall outside.

"You can put those away," was the first thing he said when he entered nodding at the books most of the class had up on the desk. "You won't be needing books today."

From their vantage point at the back of the classroom they could see the students throwing each other excited smiles. _If they only knew,_ thought Ron darkly.

Moody/Crouch took out a register, shook his long mane of grizzled gray hair out of his twisted and scarred face, and began to call out names, his normal eye moving steadily down the list while his magical eye swiveled around, fixing upon each student as he or she answered.

The only name he reacted differently to was Neville's when both his eyes had fixated longer upon Neville in a silent evaluation. The class was used to people reacting to the boy-who-lived so they only laughed at Neville's discomfort at having the teacher stare at him. The trio had also received a longer than normal glance but no one except the trio had noticed.

"Right then," he said, when the last person had declared herself present, "I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures - you've covered Boggarts, Red Caps, Hinkypunks, Grindylows, Kappas, Vampires and werewolves, is that right?"

There was a general murmur of assent and Moody/Crouch continued.

"But you're behind - very behind - on dealing with curses," said Moody/Crouch. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark curses both to deflect them and how to recognize them, but don't worry this won't turn into a Dark Arts class," he said and gave a harsh laugh.

The class looked a bit apprehensive now. Moody/Crouch got up and started to pace slowly up and down in front of the teacher's desk.

"So, straight to it – Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you counter curses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then."

Moody/Crouch stopped pacing and waved his hand in the air.

"But Professor Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves, and he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking."

They looked at Lavender who jumped guiltily and put away the Horoscope she had been showing Parvati. She had done it under the table but it was no match for Moody/Crouch's magical eye.

"So… do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"

Several hands were raised among them Rose and Neville's, Moody/Crouch called on Neville first.

"There is Avada Kedavra – the killing curse," he said in a serious voice.

"Ah…thought you would be the one to know that particular curse, being the only one to have ever survived this curse," said Moody/Crouch in a harsh voice as he limped back to the desk and took out a jar from one of the drawers. The class looked curiously at the jar which had three spiders in it. He took out one of them and put it on the desk. The spider tried to run away but was hindered by an invisible barrier.

He slowly raised his wand and the students, who seemed to understand what he was about to do all leaned backwards.

"Avada Kedavra!" he roared and brought down his wand in a wide arc. There was a flash of blinding green light and the spider toppled over – dead.

_How many times have I seen that curse being used?_ wondered Harry as he stared stoically at the dead spider. _A flash of blinding green and then it's over. Only the regret and guilt left for those left behind. And how many times haven't I used it myself? In battle, at traitors, as a mercy, as a sacrifice… It gets easier after time… _

"Avada Kedavra – instant death. There is no counter curse, no blocking it. Except for Longbottom here, however he did it," he said and grinned. No one else did though, still too shocked over the offhanded display over the most feared curse in the entire wizarding world.

"Now do you know another one," he asked the class and looked around. Now that Harry knew who was behind the polyjuice so to say, it was easy to spot the madness and the perverse pleasure the man felt at performing these curses. _And who wouldn't? They give that inebriating feeling of total control and power._

A few more students raised their hands this time and Moody/Crouch called on a Hufflepuff girl they recognized.

"Miss Bones."

"There is the Imperius curse," she said in a clear voice.

"Right and do you know what it does?"

"It controls the victim's mind."

"Yes, gave the ministry a lot of trouble a few years back it did – a nice mess trying to sort out who was controlled and who wasn't. Now…"

He turned around and went back to the desk and picked up the second spider from the jar. This spider too tried to escape but it didn't get far before Moody/Crouch said in a cold voice. "Imperio!"

The spider leapt from Moody/Crouch's hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing backward and forward as though on a trapeze. It stretched out its legs rigidly, then did a back flip, breaking the thread and landing on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Moody/Crouch jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of its hind legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance.

The class laughed, except for Harry, Ron and Hermione, all three of them remembering times when friends had suddenly been enemies. Michael Corner had been put under the Imperio and commanded to put poison in the food. Three children had died from that but it could have been worse hadn't Michael managed to throw it off when he did. Poor Michael.

Moody/Crouch was unsurprisingly not laughing.

"You think this is funny do you?" growled Moody/Crouch. "Would you like it if I did it to you?"

The laughter died away instantly and the class stared warily at the teacher as if not really sure if he was mad enough to go through with it.

"Total control," said Moody/Crouch quietly as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over and over. "I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats. You could be forced to kill your best friend or betray your family."

Moody/Crouch put the spider back in the jar and looked up at the class as said in a slow deliberate voice.

"The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked, and everyone except for the trio jumped.

"Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?"

The class was silent as everyone glanced at each other, wondering if someone was knowledgeable enough to speak up. Just when Moody/Crouch opened his mouth to continue Harry raised his arm.

"Yes Mr Potter," said Moody/Crouch, both his eyes focusing on Harry.

"There is the Cruciatus Curse. It gives excruciating pain to the victim," he said. The class glanced around uneasily, apprehensive at the prospect of having to see the curse being performed and bothered by having a fellow classmate knowing about one of the darkest curses known to wizarding kind. One usually didn't sprout the fact that they were well versed in the dark arts.

"The Cruciatus Curse," said Moody/Crouch and took out the third spider from the jar. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea," he said, pointing his wand at the spider. "Engorgio!"

The spider swelled. It was now larger than a tarantula and Moody/Crouch pointed his wand at the spider.

"Crucio!"

At once, the spider's legs bent in upon its body; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. No sound came from it but that was almost worse – it didn't even have the relief of screaming. Harry watched the spider twist and turn till it barely moved, his mind remember the feeling of the curse racking through his body in never ending agony. Like piercing twisting knives – like thousands of piercing twisting knives all over his body and still it's not adequate to describe the pain.

He wasn't really aware of how long the spider was tortured. It certainly seemed longer than he could remember it being last time around. But then again, last time he hadn't had any experiences with the curse.

"I think you should stop now Professor," came Hermione's cold voice from his side. He glanced at her but her face revealed nothing but cold disdain. "I think we have got more than an understanding of this curse."

Moody/Crouch cancelled the curse and looked down at the now still spider, his eyes gleaming slightly.

"Pain," he whispered softly, sounding creepingly pleased. _It's almost as if he enjoys casting it, _thought Harry before he remembered who he was thinking of. _Who am I kidding; he probably got a kick out of it. Bloody Death Eater._

"You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse… That one was very popular once too."

_The Death Eater's favorite, I think half of the spells they used were the unforgivables,which says something about their spell repertoire – and intelligence._

"So Avada Kedavra, Crucio and Imperio are known as the Unforgivable curses. They are unblockable and it takes a powerful bit of magic and willpower – you must genuinely want to hurt someone to cast them successfully.

"_You have to mean it Potter, righteous anger won't hurt me!"_ Bellatrix's voice shrieked in his mind.

"You could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed."

Harry really wished that he could take him up on that offer. However, **that** wouldn't be so fun to try and explain in front of the Wizengamot.

"Now, if there's no countercurse, why am I showing you? Because you've got to know. You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he roared, and the class jumped again. Harry rolled his eyes.

"The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice constant, never-ceasing vigilance. Get out your quills… copy this down…"

They spent the rest of the lesson taking notes on each of the Unforgivable Curses. No one spoke until the bell rang – but when Moody/Crouch had dismissed them and they had left the classroom, a torrent of talk burst forth. Most people were discussing the class in awed voices.

"Did you see him killing that spider, just like that," said Seamus Finnigan in excited horror.

"What about when he tortured that spider, it was so gross…"

"They don't really get it do they," murmured Hermione. "They don't understand the true horror of these curses, something Crouch failed to make them realize."

"Of course they can't. They have never experienced it before. It will be like Crouch said – they're in for a rough wake-up call when they face it for the first time," said Ron and stared at the students, but Harry noticed the far away look in his eyes.

Harry wasn't the only one who had lost family to the unforgivables – Mr and Mrs Weasleys' corpses hanging from the burrow and Ginny's tortured and mutilated body flashed before his eyes.

Hermione seemed to have noticed Ron's mood and flashed an annoyed look at Seamus, Dean and Lavender who were all speaking about the Imperius curse and what they could make people do. She made a move to say something but suddenly Harry put a consoling hand on her shoulder and she closed her mouth.

"Drop it," whispered Harry and Hermione sighed grudgingly before grabbing Ron's hand. Ron, who still seemed a bit out of it followed her without question as she led him towards the seventh floor.

It was lucky for them that DADA had been the last lesson of the day mused Harry as he followed them. Tension had been gathering all day and all three of them were starting to let their emotions rise too close to the surface for comfort.

Hermione walked back and forth in the corridor, and the door to the room of requirement appeared. Harry stepped in curious as to what Hermione would have asked for.

The room had taken the appearance of the Gryffindor common room, complete with banners and staircases to the dorms. Harry sank down in one of the sofas and scooted over to give space to Ron, who was pushed down by Hermione.

"It says something about our lives that the room gives us the Gryffindor common room," said Hermione as she sat down and leaned against Ron's shoulder.

"What did you ask it for?" asked Harry and looked over Ron to see her unguarded face. Her eyes seemed a bit dull and tired, but they still showed her great intellect and wisdom – eyes that still reassured him that she would always have the answers. But he was startled by how old she seemed. The weariness at the world he could detect in her eyes. Harry guessed that they all looked like that.

"I asked it for a happy home," answered Hermione after a long pause – one that Harry barely had noticed due to his thoughts.

"And it gave us Hogwarts…guess it makes sense. We don't have any nice memories from our other homes, Dursleys? I don't think so. Your home? Not after the fire, Grimmauld Place? Just reminds me of the war…the burrow…can't think of the burrow without seeing all the…" Harry broke off and stared at Ron who had slumped against his chest, unconsciously searching for support.

He took Ron's hand in his and gave it a light kiss.

"Talk to us Ron, what is on your mind?" he half asked half pleaded.

Ron sighed tiredly and looked up to the ceiling. Looking as old as Hermione did, they could see that he tried to banish his sad thoughts away, attempting a smile.

"You don't fool us," said Hermione lightly. "We know each other too well for those kind of pretenses."

The silence stretched after that, neither Harry nor Hermione saying anything, more or less forcing Ron to talk.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to feel…" said Ron his voice sounding slightly lost as he struggled to put words to his feelings. Had they been in their old bodies he would have said it in a dark gruff voice one would think completely unable of emotional talk. Now it just sounded like a preteen trying to sound manly and impassive. "Now that I…we have time to think about it I feel as if the void after them just grows bigger and bigger. I had thought that I had dealt with it, all their deaths… but every time I get reminded of it I just…break. Right now I feel like crying – crying and crying until I drown in my own tears," he rambled before crying out angrily. "That's not having dealt with it!"

"Then cry!" said Harry firmly. "It's not like it could hurt you. Grieve them and be at peace."

"It's difficult!" snapped Ron with irritation. "I have blocked them for so long – I can't just start grieving them after so long."

"You have to. The longer you block them out, the harder time you will have thinking of them at all – they don't deserve being forgotten by you," said Hermione encouragingly, the voice of the homework-enforcing girl slipping into her speech as she talked.

"How would you know? You didn't have your family killed off one by one in front of your very eyes!" snapped Ron. Harry turned abruptly around and slapped him lightly on the cheek.

"That was too far," he warned and Ron lowered his eyes. Harry looked over to Hermione who didn't look offended in the slightest. They were used to each other jumping at each others' throats all the time. What lovers don't? When the pressure becomes too much they lash out, saying the most hurtful things before they regaining their senses and composure. They knew they never meant what they said and as soon Ron snapped out of it he would beg for forgiveness. Just like every time it happened.

"Sorry Mione," murmured Ron.

"Nothing to forgive love, I'd rather have you ranting and accusing than silent and brooding – don't shut us out Ron."

"Psychologists sometimes…" started Hermione hesitantly but was interrupted by both Harry and Ron's sniffs.

"We are not going to see a shrink, Mione," said Harry stubbornly. "I would sooner get crucioed before talking about my emotions to an "understanding" stranger!"

"That wasn't what I meant, Merlin knows that I would never get you to a professional, but they often recommend talking."

"We do that often enough Mione. If we didn't I'm sure I would just have off'd myself ages ago," said Ron.

"But we never talk about our families – they have somehow become a taboo. Out of sight out of mind. We should talk about Christmases past, holidays, birthday parties in the burrow, snowball fights at Hogwarts, remember all those great times…" Hermione grew silent and the silence stretched again.

Harry wished that there was a fireplace in the room so he would have something to stare in – something to lose himself in. He had barely finished the thought before the room morphed slightly in front of them and a burning fire appeared. Grateful for something to distract himself he stared into the dancing flames.

"Fred and George once put magic paint on Percy's shoes. He walked around an entire day without noticing that he was leaving pink footprints everywhere he went. Mum went ballistic with the footprints; it took a week to get rid of them," said Ron suddenly in a wistful voice. It was a hesitant attempt to comply with Hermione's idea.

"How old were they?" asked Harry curiously, his gaze still on the fire.

"Nine, I think. They where pranksters even before they learned to walk," said Ron, his eyes distant.

"They definitely made Hogwarts more fun, successors to the Marauders. How about you Harry? Did you do any pranks to your sorry excuses for relatives?" asked Hermione.

"Not really, more like tricking them to let me have my way. I still remember one time when I managed to convince Dudley that the nuts in his chocolate bar were bugs. He threw it away and I managed to salvage it from the bin. I was giddy over my success for weeks," Harry said and chuckled slightly at the long time memory.

"You did him a favor Harry."

More episodes and memories emerged – some tales that Harry had never heard from the time before Hogwarts. Harry was happy to realize that he too could find happy memories to tell from his otherwise miserable childhood, even if his happy memories often were from when he had managed to circumvent the Dursleys' bad treatment of him. However, Ron and Hermione knew all about that, and they both had their own bad memories to add. Hermione had told them how she was bullied during most of her primary school and Ron how isolated he had felt during his childhood.

It was an hour later, when Harry's legs started to hurt from their cramped position, that he changed the subject.

"So how about we do something useful now that we have gotten our therapy session over and done with," said Harry amusedly and Ron laughed harshly at his side.

Hermione opened her mouth to say something but closed it again, smiling and shaking her head while muttering something that sounded like, "Boys!"

"I'm in. We have been lazing around for days now," said Ron, immediately jumping at the suggestions.

"If I suggest we go to the library to research I'll be vetoed I guess," sighed Hermione and watched as Harry and Ron eagerly bounced off from the sofa – all previous moodiness forgotten (or at least banished until another day).

"I guess it will serve as a stress reliever – I know you two have been itching for a fight for days. It's a wonder that none of the Slytherins have ended up in the hospital wing yet."

"But it was close a few times…" smirked Harry. "Stupid brats!"

Harry flicked his wand and Hermione was catapulted away from the sofa, landing not so gracefully but at least on her feet. Harry followed and around them started the room to morph into a plain windowless room.

Harry raised his wand and nodded to the other two. "Ready? he asked the others. "Normal rules – nothing permanent," he said, and Ron nodded.

"Wait" shouted Hermione, sounding desperate to prevent the duel for as long as possible. "I'm not going to duel in these clothes, bloodstains never really disappear from clothes."

"Fine" said Harry and waved his hand, conjuring three pairs of training suits. "Take these," he threw them at the other two. They started to undress, completely at ease in the others' presence.

"Aww you look so cute Harry," said Hermione in cooing voice as she turned towards them only wearing undergarments.

"Ahh Ron save me from the scary pedophilic woman!" screamed Harry in a mock terrified voice and hid behind Ron. Hermione put her hands on her hips and pouted – trying to look as if she wasn't staring at their bodies. They were only wearing boxers so she got a nice view over Ron's muscled body and Harry's slimmer one.

"I am fifteen," she said sweetly.

"Are you really sure? Sometimes you act like my mother," said Harry as he peeked of Ron's shoulder.

"You are crazy, I would never try to be your mother… that's Hedwig's job," said Hermione with a smirk.

"Hermione, you and me ganging up on Harry, ok?" asked Ron when they had changed.

"No fair, its two against one," Harry said frowning. "I'm going to get really injured."

"Oh shut up Harry, it's the only way that you'll even come close to being defeated," said Hermione smugly, ignoring Harry's indignant mutter of "I'm not **that** powerful", and went to stand beside Ron.

"I knew you would choose him over me," sighed Harry dramatically.

Ron waved his wand, conjuring a metal plate.

"Ready?" he asked. Seeing their nods, he threw the plate high in the air. Silently they watched the plate fall.

Clang! The metal plate touched the floor with a metallic sound.

The duel had started.

_Stupefy, Incendio, Reducto_, Ron cast wordlessly at the same time as he dodged to the side.

Hermione flicked her wand and an impenetrable stonewall rose in front of her. She was safe to continue the next spell.

_Inaspicuus, _thought Harry as he dodged Ron's spells, not even bothering to use his wand. He promptly turned invisible and quickly moved forward so that he circumvented Hermione's wall. _Furnunculus! Imperio! Stupefy! _he cast towards her_. _

Ron saw the spell coming out of nowhere and quickly cast Protego in front of Hermione. Two of the spells were stopped, but the first one got through – hitting Hermione in her chest. She flinched when boils erupted all over her chest but that was the only reaction it got and she sent Ron a predatory smile.

_Homenum Designo_. The boils stung on her body, but she paid them no heed as she concentrated on Harry's picture and waved her wand in every direction. A second later a blue cloud gathered ten meters in front of her where Harry was hiding under an invisibility spell. Smirking in triumph she slashed her wand downwards. _Saepio! _

Having had all his spells blocked Harry turned his assault to Ron, never stopping for a second. _Strangulo_ – choking curse – _Obscura Visio_ – blindness spell – _Imperio_ – just to annoy – _Sphaera Tenebrae_ – traps the opponent in a dark sphere. _Yes!_ _Gottcha!_ The last one managed to surround Ron who was now gone in a dark mist. Suddenly, four walls rose up around

him, probably courtesy of Hermione.

The darkness closed in on him, making him lose all sense of physics. Nothing existed except for the darkness. Ron couldn't see or feel his body, didn't know up from down or how long time that had passed. He could be a single soul flouting around in nothingness for all he knew. Still he closed his eyes and experienced a more controlled form of darkness. Concentrating on his breathing he managed to get enough focus for one spell. _Lumos Maximus! _The darknesswas chased away by the strong light emitting from his hands.

_Praestigiae, _murmured Hermione, her face scrunched up in concentration. _Praestigiae, _again she moved her wand in an intricate patter in the air, layering half of the room in a strong illusion – the best distraction in the world.

_Bombarda! _The walls that had trapped Harry were blown outwards, flying like giant missiles in every direction of the room. Hermione was hit in the head and sagged to the floor, and he quickly stunned her. Suddenly dread filled him as cold drove in from all around him. Distant screaming gained in strength.

_No, please not Harry. Spare him, take me instead! _

_Bone of a father, unknowingly given…_

_No! Please don't leave me here! Take me with you, take meaaargh..._

_Happy memory! Happy memory! Think of a happy memory. _The dementors were closing in. There were hundreds of them! He couldn't think of a happy memory!

_Ginny – dead and tortured. "Hermione don't let Ron see!"_

_Happy birthday Potter – I've lit a candle for you, Oakham burned nicely._

He, Ron and Hermione together in Gryffindor's common room, Ron annihilating Harry in wizard's chess, Hermione with a thick tome and a smile on her face…"Expecto Patronum_!" _

The Patronus charged towards the dark shapes and the memories faded somewhat. _Something is wrong here… _thought Harry and concentrated while casting an advanced magic detection spell. _An illusion! _realised Harry before quickly dispelling the Dementor illusions.

Harry stumbling around in front of him with a haunted look was the first thing Ron saw when he had managed to dispel the darkness spell. _Stupefy!_ _Sensus Deluvies! Stupefy! _he cast, almost carelessly as he went to find Hermione – an eye on Harry only to see him making the spells rebound back on Ron. Dodging two stunners and one sense-flooding curse he managed to find Hermione, who was just coming out of a light concussion. 

Hermione groaned but forced herself to stay still, keeping the pretence of still being knocked out. Everything was blurry, and light kept swimming in and out of her vision.

"Medeavaleo," came Ron's voice from above her and her head cleared instantly even if she remained a bit light-headed. Ron's passive face swam into view before he stood up again – no doubt to guard against Harry's next attack.

More than annoyed that Hermione had resorted to use his emotions against him he decided to up the game. The shadows flickered and seemed to come alive with a will of their own as the room turned darker. Hermione was taken by surprise when shadows started to snake up her legs and trap her. Ron was ready though and cast Lumos Maximum, causing the shadows to turn back to normal again. _Contorqueo_! Harry watched in satisfaction as the dark curse slammed into Ron's chest.

Having expelled Harry's sinister shadows Ron was quite unprepared for the curse that slammed into his chest. His arm twisted awkwardly, and he groaned in pain as he recognized the curse. It was Contorqueo – a dark curse that twisted arms and bones until they broke. He bit his tongue as his shoulder jumped out of its socket with a nasty "plop." If the curse wasn't stopped the arm might fall off completely!

Hermione waved her wand and conjured a huge bear that pounced on Harry, breaking his connection with whatever curse Ron was writhing on the floor for. She sighed in irritation as Harry promptly transformed into Traceless and effortlessly snapped the animated bear's neck. _Bombarda! Reducto! Gravita Opposita! Lacero! Lacero!_ The double cutting curse finally hit the dodging wolf, who disappeared into the shadows.

"Oh no you don't!" muttered Hermione. "Officio!" The room immediately lit up like a sunny day.

Realizing that his hiding place was neutralized, Traceless sought a way to transform back – no easy task when Hermione used him for target practice. The second cutting curse had hit home and he was bleeding from his hip. He yelped in pain as a curse slammed into him, feeling like a spear had gone straight through his stomach. He turned around and growled at Ron who answered by flinging off two new spells. Traceless easily dodged them and slammed into Ron.

Both of them fell to the floor and Traceless got his jaws around Ron's unharmed arm.

The moment Traceless touched him Ron had a knife in hand and wasted no time in stabbing the other in the chest. The wolf seemed to barely notice, the grip on his arm never lessening and he felt the bones break. Suddenly they were both floating in the air, weightless. Their movements were trickier to control and Ron saw Harry transform back.

Having successfully managed to separate the two Hermione sent of a volley of spells towards Harry. Two of them hit their mark before Harry had managed to touch ground – stumbling slightly due to a bone breaking curse.

Leg now useless Harry had no choice but to use shield charms instead of dodging. He cast one that protected him in the last second from one of Ron's curses. They were now back to a two on one duel and everyone was starting to get tired. _Devoro, Strangulo, Lacero_, cast Harry as he limped away from the middle. They traded spells for a while, many hitting their marks as they got more and more tired.

Suddenly a shimmering globe flared up all around Hermione and Harry's spells all bounced back on him. "Protego!" he cried as he threw himself to the side – managing to get away from all except one. It was a certain kind of irony to get hit with his own flogging curse. His arms stung painfully as he threw up another shield charm from his position on the floor.

"Crucio!" cast Harry towards Hermione and watched, unsurprised as the unforgivable slammed into the shining barrier and bounced back. Harry sidestepped the curse and sent two other spells at Ron at the same time_. Fucking Hermione and her fucking wards_, he grumbled as he tripped over his broken leg again. To avoid falling he flicked his hand and started flying in the air.

Ron watched Harry fly up in the air and wasted no time. Hastily conjuring a dozen knives he sent them all flying towards Harry.

Hermione, safely behind her barrier, watched Harry fly up in the shy and seeing the knives Ron conjured she went for the spells. _Stupefy! Petrificus Totalus!_

Seeing danger approaching from both sides Harry did the only possible thing and cancelled his flying spell – falling hard to the floor. Luckily he managed to twist around so he didn't land on his broken leg. Knives flew over him – right were his head had been one second ago and crashed into Hermione's spells.

Ron, tired of the spell trading tried something different as he saw Harry sprawled on the floor. Twirling his wand in several sharp circles while chanting a long spell, he released a huge tornado of fire. Jerking his wand towards Harry, he watched in satisfaction as the roaring infernos speeded towards his boyfriend.

Again Harry found himself in the middle of two attacks and having no way of either dodging the fire tornado or creating a strong enough shield charm he did the only thing he could think of. _Corpus Phasma! _A very peculiar feeling filled him as his body turned light and transparent, floating slightly above ground. His focus on the duel slipped as he at the moment was essentially a ghost and he found himself slowly turn solid again – unable to stay in that state for longer than a few seconds. Ron's fire tornado went straight trough him and the same with Hermione's two spells, even though a stunner came in contact with his rapidly solidifying body. Having only been hit by half the stunner it only managed to make him dizzy.

Ron's eyes widened as he saw his tornado go straight through Harry's body – he didn't know that Harry had finally mastered that spell. The tornado, having not hit Harry continued its rampage – straight towards Hermione. Ron realized this too late and had no time to dissolve the whirlwind of fire. It hit Hermione's shield straight on and exploded in a cloud of fire, but miraculously, when the smoke lifted they saw that Hermione's ward was unaffected.

Being fed up with Hermione's bouncing ward Harry waved his wand in a wide arc followed by a double circle. "Oxygeniuvacuus!" he shouted as he needed to say the difficult charm out loud. There was no sign that the spell had been successful, no visible sign at least, but after a while he could see Hermione's ward cracking before falling completely. Hermione looked a bit dizzy as she staggered away from him but Harry gave her no reprieve as he quickly hit her with a malicious-looking black and green spell.

Ron knew that Hermione was in trouble the moment Harry shouted out the charm and tried to take advantage of Harry's momentarily lack of awareness. _Vanesco Intestinum, Exsensus! _Both spells hit their mark just as Harry incapacitated Hermione.

Harry choked and coughed harshly as he felt the first spell hit him, leaving him with the uncomfortable feeling that something had been ripped away from his stomach. A quick glance on the red spots on the floor told him that he had been coughing blood. _Uh oh, not good_, he managed to think before the second spell hit – throwing his whole world into turmoil. Sounds lowered, his vision grew fuzzy, the smell of sweat and blood grew less prominent and the aching in his stomach was suddenly negligible. Realizing what a big target he had made himself and cursing the fact that he had been distracted and hit, he set out to take down Ron – the only one left in the game.

Ron carefully observed Harry who had been hit by a senses-dulling spell and was now warily crouching on the floor, or as careful as possible considering he couldn't really see or hear anything. He sent two stunners, hoping that they would hit their mark and for once make him the winner. He was disappointed, but not surprised, when Harry easily blocked the stunners with a simple shield charm. How he had seen them coming Ron had no idea.

Harry had no idea where Ron was but it hardly mattered as he concentrated on a difficult combination spell. Searching for and finding Ron's magical signature he linked his spells to it and released them. _Percequor scopus Petrificus Totalus, Percequor scopus marionettas, Percequor scopus Lapidesco! _Three different curses all left Harry's hand and searched out Ron who stood to Harry's left. 

"Argyraspis" cried Ron who saw the three spells coming towards him. The spells bounced towards the shield but instead of hitting and disintegrate on the floor and walls they all turned midair and returned for him like bludgers.

"Shit," swore Ron and hastily created another shield. The spells turned and came back towards him.

"Protego!" Same thing again.

"Speculum!" The spells kept coming back and now they were all around him. Ron had no time left for cursing as he shielded and dodged the spells that kept swarming him. He needed a full body shield – or at least a way to get rid of the missile spells. He needed Hermione!

Harry concentrated on the counter curse and slowly his senses returned to him. He turned to see how Ron fared against his missile spells. There were only two left, and as he watched, Ron managed to transfigure a real bludger that he directed towards one of the spells. The two collided in a small explosion of debris and sparkles.

Unfortunately, he missed the third one and it slammed into his wand arm – causing it to turn slowly into stone. Ron quickly cast the counter curse to prevent himself from turning completely to stone but his wand hand was now useless.

Before Ron had time to look up, he was hit by a second time. Abruptly, he parted from the floor and "fell" up to the ceiling. He slammed hard into the ceiling and sat up staring confusedly around him, noting the fact that he seemed to have changed gravity. He maybe had one second to contemplate that before the spell was ended and he came crashing to the floor again.

He groaned and sat up dazedly only to cry out when a spell hit him again – causing him to momentarily loose track of everything else as pain erupted all over his skin.

Survival instincts kicked in and he quickly jumped to the left, avoiding a blue spell. There was no longer time for neither defensive nor offensive tactics anymore as he jumped and dodged the shower of spells – quickly tiring himself out.

He was hit by a skin-flaying spell and fell to the floor, skin missing from a large part of his back. He turned around in time to see a black spell speeding towards him. Having no chance of dodging and feeling desperate he flung up his hand and called forth his fire, using all of his pain as a conduit.

The fire came forth, twisting and thrashing, behaving almost like a wild and dangerous animal. The flames swirled around Ron almost calmly, but they made a formidable protection on the outside – burning violently the flames would destroy anyone foolish enough to come close.

Ron felt both terrified and strangely elated and invigorated as he let the flames dance around him – barely within his control. He didn't even have to force the fire out as he found Harry to his left and launched a stream of fire towards him. The huge fireball – much larger than he had planned for – slammed into Harry's hastily conjured shield. It broke through the shield as if it had been made out of paper. Harry gave a pained cry and felt to the floor, his arms clutching his chest. Harry's cry made him lose his concentration and his fire exploded in all directions, starting merry little bonfires all over the room.

"I've had enough," muttered in Harry in a tear-filled voice as he shakily got up on his knees, his upper body feeling as if it was still caught on fire. Grabbing his wand he had neglected to use in the last few minutes, he waved it in a wide arc followed by a double circle.

" Oxygeniuvacuus," he shouted yet again while staring intently on the fires around the room, willing them to subject to his magic.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the fires went out one by one as the oxygen in the room was evicted. The air-expelling charm was difficult to cast and demanded full focus – it was also difficult to keep the space void of air after he had emptied it.

It was just when Harry thought he wouldn't be able to keep the spell up any longer that Ron fell to the ground – delirious from lack of oxygen. Harry quickly cancelled the charm and ran over to Ron, still mindful of any tricks Ron might have up his sleeve.

He needn't have to worry though, for when he arrived and turned Ron over, putting a knife to his throat as he did so, he saw that Ron was seconds from fainting.

Ron's eyes darted around before slowly focusing on Harry and he managed a half-smile.

"Two against one – and you still won huh?"

"So I take it you yield?" asked Harry never easing the pressure from the knife.

"Yes, that was all I had," he said and closed his eyes and just concentrated on taking deep gulps of air.

Above him Harry made a grimace – more out of pain than victory as he fell to the floor, painfully aware of all his injuries that started to catch up to him when the adrenalin subsided. He didn't even want to start to think of how mutilated his body was – from how it felt he would be surprised if he still had a body. "This is so stupid. Why did we have to go all out? Idiot! We could have done well with stunners. Stupid! Self-harm is what it is," he grumbled to himself as he did after every training, every time his body ended up worse than it had been after some fights with Death Eaters. _But not every time though – we need the training. We need to be ready, to be in top shape. For whenever we end up in a battle we can't afford to lose._

Ron was completely exhausted. He doubted he would be able to move ever again. Why they were doing these insane duels was, at the moment, beyond him. And the pain…crucio couldn't even start to describe how it felt. It was like fire slowly erupted inside his body, in his skin, in his mind – a fire gathering in strength until he could not think of anything except the pain roaring in all of his senses.

"It hurts," he screamed suddenly, unable to ignore it and dearly wishing for someone to heal him. His delirious mind provided him with the rather out-of-place picture of Harry kissing his pain away – quite unlikely seeing as Harry was in just as much pain. At Ron's sudden declaration Harry was interrupted from his own ramblings and stared at him drowsily.

"You're hurt! What about me, I have at least three broken ribs as well as a broken hand. And look at all those gashes in my side – you can see the ribs! I'm not sure but I think some of my intestines are missing! I won't even get started on the burns on my chest. Tanks for that by the way!" he said in an incensed voice.

"You have nothing if we are to start the Worst Wound Competition. You hit me with that flesh-eating curse! Twice! Not to mention that skin-flaying curse – it'll be a miracle if Hermione can heal my back…and you broke my arm, after you had dislocated it!" he trailed off when he noticed that Harry wasn't really listening.

"Just get Hermione," mumbled Harry while carefully poking on one of his burns.

"She hasn't woken up yet."

"Wake her then." _That burn looks really nasty, like bark from a spruce tree,_ he thought distractedly. 

"I can't wake her – she hasn't woken up after you hit her with that curse. Which curse was it by the way?"

"The sleeping beauty one…I better go and release her," said Harry and slowly got up, mindful of his broken bone.

"You know she's gonna kill you when she wakes up," warned Ron as he watched Harry flick his hand and gently float up in the air and soar over to where Hermione laid on the floor. He looked like some kind of divine demon, his tranquil pose belying the blood dripping to the floor in his wake.

Hermione had dropped almost at the same spot as she had started the duel. _She doesn't like moving around much, our Hermione, but that's her strategy, _thought Harry fondly as he slowly lowered himself to sit at her side.

She was in a deep enchanted sleep, a small smile playing on her lips and her hair forming around her face. No amount of sound in the world could rouse her from her sleep and it was only the slowly rising and falling of her chest that revealed that she was still alive.

Feeling very much like one of those princes in the old movies he leaned forward and kissed her lips. Not the First Kiss of True Love, but it held love and tenderness and that was enough for the magic holding the spell.

He felt her stir under him and leaned back, eager to see her open her eyes. She did so slowly. Her eyes opened and sleepily looked at him, no haste at all to get up and continue the duel.

"Good morning sleepy head," said Harry with a smile and brushed her hair away from her face. Hermione yawned and got up slowly.

"What's the time? We have Herbol…" she started but stopped suddenly and got a bewildered expression. Swiftly, she turned and looked at Harry and then at the room and Ron a few meters away. "The duel…but what happened? When did it stop? What day is it?" she said worriedly and got up, forgetful of her injuries. She stumbled slightly and supported herself against Harry who grimaced in pain.

"We just finished the duel. You were knocked out five or ten minutes ago," said Harry.

"What! But it feel so long ago, days at the very least. I could have been under that curse for years and wouldn't have noticed a thing!" she said bewildered and turned to Harry. "What curse did you hit me with?"

"Bella Dormiens," said Harry calmly, knowing fully well that Hermione's amiable, if somewhat confused, mood would soon come to an end – and that he had to take responsibility for his actions and surrender to her anger.

First Hermione just looked at him blankly, wordlessly repeating the words he had spoken. Then her eyes widened before narrowing on Harry, who smirked at her.

"I can't believe you hit me with that curse," she said finally in a slow deliberate voice, seemingly calling up all the restraint she had.

"That is what happens when you let your guard down. Be happy that it wasn't an Avada Kedavra or that I didn't leave you in eternal sleep, waiting for the kiss to wake you up," he said dismissingly, trying to ignore Ron's shaking head as he dug himself deeper.

"I hate that curse!" said Hermione fiercely. "What would have happened if you accidentally got killed? Then I would never have woken up!" she berated him as she easily went to heal their injuries.

"Yes you would, I modified it. Ron would have been able to wake you up too."

"I could?"

"Didn't I tell you?"

"NO!"

"Sorry," said Harry sheepishly and grimaced when Hermione jerkily waved her wand over his broken leg. The bone mended a little more painfully than usual. "I made it so that anyone could lift the spell if they only held affection towards the person. Ron would just have had to kiss you for you to wake up. Very simple but nothing people, Death Eaters especially, would think of in the middle of a battle.

"It doesn't matter! I really hate that curse! You know how I feel about the Dark Arts."

"Hey, it isn't a dark curse," defended Harry.

"Yes it is. If the ministry knew about it they would ban it. I mean eternal sleep to everybody who is hit and only the caster can expel it," said Hermione and continued when she sensed that they were about to interject. "And even if you changed it so that anyone could wake the victim, it's still a Dark curse. I mean, it's like you said – it's not a cure anyone would think of."

"It is a masterpiece isn't it," said Ron, not really helping the matter. Hermione huffed in annoyance and prodded Ron with her wand.

"If you weren't so injured I would hex you so badly…seeing as words don't get through that that thick skull of yours. You two idiots are too stubborn to change…" she said in an irritated voice as she waved her wand over Ron's ruined skin.

"And what about your ward!" asked Harry aggressively. "It's a blood ward isn't it, definitely dark!"

"Grey," muttered Hermione and continued. "It don't hurt anyone, it is constructed purely to defend people, that's more than can be said about your spells…"

"Why should we change something that works? The Dark Arts were necessary when we fought, otherwise they would just have kept enervating each other – and how many more dead would we have had? Many more I tell yeah," said Harry stubbornly, still not willing to admit that he was in the wrong.

"What about moral and ethic?" asked Hermione in a gruff voice and deliberately looked away from Harry.

The mood changed immediately and Harry said in a cold and defensive voice.

"I have only ever used the Dark Arts on those who deserve it – never on innocents!"

"That can be discussed," muttered Hermione.

"Name one time when I have done wrong then," growled Harry challengingly.

Hermione opened her mouth to answer when Ron stopped her with and arm on her shoulder.

"Just drop it," he murmured and kissed her lightly on her lips. Hermione sighed and threw Harry one last incensed look before returning Ron's kiss.

The war in the past kept showing its ugly head when they least expected it – often making them to act like angsty teenagers. _And if Harry is gonna continue to behave like a high strung idiot then he is gonna pay for it, _thought Hermione pettily as she leaned closer to Ron, completely ignoring Harry and his half-healed body.

Ron groaned as Hermione deepened his chaste kiss, gently wrapping her arms around him and straddling his lap. Ron permitted her advances, knowing fully well what she was doing and judging by the increasing pressure in the air, Harry knew it too.

Why was it that some things always kept coming up? He wondered tiredly. They kept the cheerful façade even around each other – like if they pretended that if everything was fine then there weren't any problems. _Out of sight out of mind._

Only all three of them knew that it was only a façade and were never surprised when the mask cracked. Harry's issues from what he was forced to do during the war…Hermione's guilt those times she wrongly calculated something… Ron's family, whose death plagued him every night – the wounds were deep. They were healing, oh so slowly, but still healing. Hermione would probably say it was a part of the healing process to lash out and try to push some of the guilt and anger away from oneself.

The only consolation was that no matter how brutal and viciously they lashed out at each other they always stayed. They fitted each other perfectly like a three-sided pyramid – unable to stand alone, but together they all supported each other. Sometimes they didn't even need to say sorry; they were long past words in their relationship.

_We should be beyond petty revenges too. This is too much like sixth year. We are adults now_, he mused as he pried Hermione off his face.

He took one look at Harry's sullen and closed-off face and sighed in irritation. How he hated to end up in the middle of the two of them fighting. He hated choosing sides.

"Hermione can't you just let it go," he pleaded tiredly, making a half-hearted attempt at mediating.

Hermione stilled and leaned against his shoulder as she stared hard at Harry's, who kept his face emotionless.

"Maybeee…if he promised not to do it again," she said sulkily and added, "I really hate the Dark Arts. I don't like seeing them thrown around so carelessly."

Harry looked like he was about to argue but seemed to change his mind.

"Okay, I won't use them on you anymore, and I'm sorry for doing it in the first place. It's just that I want to reach my best, I want to be powerful enough to stop any Dark Lord from hurting people I care about – and I know that in order to do that I need both Light and Dark magic," he trailed off and waved his hand, creating a small wisp of magic. The strand of magical energy danced around his hand, never touching but never straying too far away, shining with all the colors of the rainbow. Harry stared mesmerized at the magic before snapping his finger and the magic divided into two. One was light, like shimmering silver, while the other one was dark, like the blackest night.

"After all, isn't it the truth of my being? Both Dark and Light – forever balancing out each other, the innocent savior holding the soul of the vindictive Dark Lord. A shadow wolf sharing body with a phoenix… a conqueror and a defender. The light inside me yearns to protect, to heal, to strike down all hate in the world, while a part of me, my darker side, yearns just as much to dominate and control, to feel the empowering rush when inflicting pain and despair on others."

"But you won't let those desires overpower you," said Hermione softly.

"No, I don't. The Dark Arts satiates my thirst for destruction in a way much easier to control. I can never completely ignore that thirst. If I were to do that then the Light would take over – leading ultimately to my own destruction. So I accept that I need to hunt people just as much as I need to save them. I'm only a keeper of balance, the Grey Lord in the middle," he grew silent and extinguished the magic only now looking up at Ron and Hermione who stared at him with fondness and a little wonder. To them it seemed like Harry had so many layers, and as soon they thought they had him figured out, he kept surprising them.

"Well that was a bit of a longwinded apology, got the message across at least. We know about your double-trouble soul, I think that everybody has two sides – yours are just a little more literal," said Hermione lightly, showing that she accepted the apology.

"You are so special Harry," said Ron lovingly and beckoned Harry over. "I don't think it even fazes me anymore. It's more like an expectation."

"Well, let's get the rest of you fixed up. I think that's enough of a punishment," said Hermione and continued to heal Harry up.

"We need to get some healing potions for next time," said Ron as he watched Hermione heal the burns on Harry's chest. Hermione made something sounding like a mix between a growl and a groan.

"I agree," said Harry in a tight voice as the healing spell burned in his side. "They may taste awful but they are more effective for severe wounds."

"And they reduce the risk of scarring," said Hermione and looked over her work with a critical eye. "This might scar if we don't put on some scar removing paste soon."

"I can make some…" offered Harry as he put on his clothes, grimacing as he did so too quickly. He knew that he shouldn't make any quick movements after a healing but had never liked to be hindered by his injuries any longer than it took to heal them. He had been the main headache of their resident healers, Cho and Luna during the war, what with his insistence on getting out of bed the moment he could do so without collapsing. The first thing he often asked when he woke up in the hospital wing was what his injuries were and when he could leave.

"The ideal recuperation time would be two weeks, but seeing as you won't listen to reason and you are my commander I say two days and you should be fine from any permanent damage," Cho used to say in a exasperated tone of voice as he asked when to leave. Those two days often had him crawling up the walls in frustration at his inactivity.

"Or we just sneak into the hospital wing and nick some from Pomfrey," said Ron cheerfully. The previous tension was in the past – forgotten and forgiven. He was also putting on his clothes, albeit in a slower pace than Harry, mindful of his sore body.

"We'll have to do that later in any case. We better go to bed – it's past curfew and I'm tired," said Hermione, who had done the tempus spell.

"What's the matter?" teased Ron. "You used to be able to go on for two days without rest when you researched something important. Why so tired now?"

"Because, dimhead, people are not dying by me not working hard enough and this young body can't take the strain. I'm amazed that they handled the strain of our duel as well as they did. They haven't even reached puberty yet, and I doubt we have even reached our full magical maturity yet in these bodies."

"Really? I'm feeling strong enough, maybe not as much as during the war but still powerful," said Harry and continued in a joking voice, "I wonder if I could take on Dumbledore!"

"In your old body you probably could. In this one – I don't think so. You better wait until your body has matured both physically and magically before challenging the strongest light wizard in this century," laughed Ron.

"I'm not too sure about that. I feel like I could defeat him right now, I've got a wide variety in my arsenal. It's not only the power levels that decides the outcome of a battle."

"You should be focusing more about your chances on defeating Voldemort instead of Dumbledore," frowned Hermione.

"Voldemort is Neville's problem, Dumbledore on the other hand…"

"You are not going to duel Dumbledore. He is a great man," said Hermione in a very McGonagall-like voice.

"I see nothing great with him," muttered Harry

"He has done nothing to you, so just let it go. You have no right to hold resentment towards him. I respect that you don't want to trust the man, but I won't allow you to attack him. Is that understood Harry James Potter!"

"Yeah yeah I get it! – I won't kill or defeat him. I still want to duel him though, just to see if I would win," he said in a mischievous voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him and abruptly got up and stalked out through the door – ignoring both Harry and Ron's strangled hisses of "Hey, constant vigilance you foolish Gryffindor!" as they hurried to catch up to her.

"You know that I could just flame us to our dorms," whispered Harry to Hermione as they sneaked down the corridors. The shadows thickened where they walked making them undetectable, even for Mrs Norris, who had stared towards them suspiciously before continuing on towards the astronomy tower.

"But this is more rewarding. We learn to sneak around and what better way to learn the secrets of Hogwarts than to be aware of its nightlife?" said Hermione as she guided them to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"We did a good job corrupting her," smirked Ron to Harry, who only nodded, careful to not let his grip over the shadows slip and reveal to the painting that they were there.

"Let's flame from here," he said absently and felt Ron and Hermione take hold of each of his hands. Flaming by phoenix fire was almost impossible while using shadows – for neither element wanted to accept the other. Calming himself, he asked the shadows to stay as long as possible. Normally that would ensure that the corridor would be covered in darkness until morning. Now however, the moment he called up the phoenix fire, it attacked the shadows which retreated.

All the startled Fat Lady saw was a burst of flames flaring up in the middle of the hall and flickering shadows disappearing into the corners, before everything went silent and the night continued as if nothing had happened.


	13. Slight miscalculation

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It was early morning and the Great Hall was half full when the trio entered, having showered after their normal morning run. Hermione and Ron sat down on one bench, Ron scowling darkly for some inane reason. Harry lithely sprang over the table and sat down on the opposite side. Hermione poured tea for the three of them while Ron and Harry started making a mountain of toast for themselves.

"Here comes the post," said Hermione and looked up just as hundreds of owls swooped down from the enchanted ceiling.

"There's Hedwig," said Ron and pointed to the snowy white owl, which landed gracefully in front of Harry.

"Let's see what you got for us," said Harry and waved his wand over the two letters in her talons. The anti-tampering charm and the curse-detecting spell both came up negative, and he touched the letters. "This one is for you Ron," said Harry and pushed the first letter over to Ron.

Ron said nothing, but he nodded his thanks to Hedwig, causing Hermione to smile happily as she fed scraps of bacon to the noble owl. "It's from Percy," said Ron, who had opened the letter and started reading.

"Can't a guy have some privacy?" he grumbled as Hermione leaned over his shoulder to read too. She just shrugged and when he turned away from her she just followed, leaning so much that she was practically sitting in his lap. Ron scowled darkly but after that pretended to ignore her.

Harry smiled his head at the scene and went to read his own letter.

_Dear Godson,_

_Thanks for your letter – it arrived safe and sound, even if your owl stared at me for a full five minutes before allowing me to take the letter. That's one funny owl. _

_Well everything continues on as usual back home. Your dad and Sirius continue to run headfirst into wild adventures – relying on me to get them out of trouble of course. I won't tell you anything though for fear of interfering with your dad's images of a responsible father._

Harry snorted at that. _Responsible father yeah sure_. James was not much different, mentally, from his school years. Hard to believe that he had fought in the war, but then again, maybe he had never been forced to kill someone. Like Harry had. Harry was of the opinion that unless you hadn't killed someone you hadn't really fought in the war. Killing someone required a big sacrifice – it required the loss of your last shreds of innocence and the corruption of your soul. Harry had lost his innocence at seventeen.

_I lost my job at the muggle bookstore; I guess I had one sick day leave too many, so I got fired without credentials. It's very difficult to stay on a job in the muggle world because you can't explain why you are missing all the time (not that it is any easier in the wizarding world mind you). _

_Well, on to a happier note. The tournament sounds really exciting – I wish they had something like that in my schooldays. I might be able to come watching the spectacle – at least the first task (it is before the Christmas break so I can leave my werewolf mark at home)._

_James and Sirius along with two other aurors will be stationed at Hogwarts all year round for security reasons. Don't tell anyone that though; I think they wanted to fool Rose and Matthew that they were there to keep an eye on them because of all their pranks. I don't think you were included in the prank seeing as you have been a model student (very much like me) since you came to Hogwarts. _

_That was all I had to add. Yake care Harry._

_With love_

_Remus_

"Anything interesting?" asked Hermione.

"It's from Remus," said Harry, to which Hermione answered, "I know, I saw it in your mind." Harry nodded, having detected her intrusion when he was reading but, knowing who it was, he had let her in.

"Actually quite interesting. James and Sirius will be here during the year along with two other aurors."

"For security?" asked Ron, and Harry nodded. "That's strange. We didn't have anything like that our time around."

"But Fudge was a moron and a useless minister…" said Harry.

"What are you talking about? Fudge's never been minister," came Neville's voice from behind them before the four sleepy members of the Lion's Pride sat down on their left.

"Does private conversation mean anything to you?" snapped Ron as he put his letter out of their sight. Harry caught Hermione's exasperated expression and rolled his eyes. Ron had been in a foul temper all morning, and having been the victim of Ron's ire Harry was quite relieved that Ron had found another target for his anger.

"The Great Hall is no place for private conversations," said Rose in a matter-of-fact voice as she loaded her plate with breakfast.

"Then where is? The common room? I think everyone in Gryffindor knew about your prank to the Slytherins. You really ought to learn some secrecy spells," said Ron scathingly.

"Knew but didn't tell," said Matthew smugly. "There is a distinct difference."

"So you are just going to trust the rest of the Gryffindors not to sell you out?" asked Harry, genuinely bewildered over their foolishness.

"What's with you? Of course they won't sell us out! We are Gryffindors, not slimy Slytherins! We protect our own!" said Ginny fiercely. "Besides everyone likes our pranks. It's only certain teacher's pets that don't," she said and stared pointedly at Hermione.

Hermione ignored the stare and said instead, "Slytherins are not all bad, and they protect their own even more fiercely than Gryffindors."

"You defend them? After all they have done to you!" said Rose incredulously.

"Not defending them, rising above them," said Hermione calmly as she sipped on her tea. "If I was to retaliate…or allow Harry and Ron to retaliate, I would just lower myself to their level."

"Shame that the Slytherins don't think that. They still attack you. I saw that bruise you had on your leg yesterday," said Rose in a neutral voice, holding neither scorn nor sympathy.

Harry saw Hermione's hand twitch as it moved to touch the now disguised bruise she had gotten from their duel before she gripped her cup again.

"That bruise wasn't from the Slytherins. Harry gave it to me," she said with an indecipherable smile.

"What? Are the Gryffindors hitting their own now? Not satisfied by attacking the other houses," came a voice from behind, and they turned around to see the Slytherins. It was Theodore Nott who had spoken; he sent a particularly vicious glare at the Lion's Pride.

"Shut up Nott. She was actually defending your lot," said Neville, causing the Slytherins to snort even though Blaise Zabini looked a bit intrigued.

"We are grateful for your protection. I don't know what we poor snakes would do without the help from one muggleborn," smirked Zabini, managing to draw out the muggleborn part, making it sound like an insult. Hermione took it in stride though and nodded benignly towards him.

"I was only doing my duty – as a fearless Gryffindor, I just can't sit silently when my fellow classmates' not-so-good name is being slandered," she said in good fun. Zabini smiled at her, and what looked like respect could be seen in his eyes.

Lestrange though seemed not to be picking up on the friendly banter and sneered. "And who is doing the slandering? Must have been a particular cowardly Gryffindor who doesn't dare to do it to our faces."

As expected, the Gryffindors immediately rose to the insult and the fragile standstill was broken.

"Not this again!" groaned Ron impatiently as Rose flung back an insult to Malfoy. "You are all idiots, and if I have to endure any moment of your presence I'll curse you – watching teachers or not!"

"Did you say something Slugboy?" asked Malfoy hotly and not so discreetly pulled out his wand.

Ron growled low and sprung up, looking as if he was about to jump over the table that separated him and Malfoy.

_Typical angsty werewolves_, sighed Harry and decided to intervene. He had until now followed the exchange with wary yet amused eyes, but Ron starting a fight in front of a dozen teachers was not a good idea.

"Why is there always so much tension when we meet?" said Harry smoothly and got up, positioning himself between Ron and Malfoy. "Surely it can't all be angsty teenage mood?" he asked lightly and glanced at Ron who still cast challenging glares at Malfoy. Hermione had put her hand on his shoulder, and it seemed like Ron calmed down. _Now if our dear Slytherins can keep their mouths shut._

"We definitely have to find another outlet for our…differences," said Harry and watched as Ron stormed away, Hermione in tow. _Good. I would hate for Ron to actually have a reason for his bad temper. _

"As if we want something to do with disgraces like you," sneered Lestrange.

"Think about it," said Harry and made a mock bow. "If nothing else we could always meet up where there are no teachers." He prepared to leave when he sensed that someone was arriving. _Seems like someone finally noticed the explosive mix of Slytherins and Gryffindors, _he thought mildly and turned around and faced Snape.

"Is there a problem professor?" he asked, putting the words in Snape's mouth.

Snape, who had opened his mouth to ask just those words, closed it and stared at the disgruntled students. None of them wearing Harry's careless face except for Zabini, but he always looked amused.

"What's going on here? I don't trust this mix more than I would one of Hagrid's beasts," he sneered and directed the question towards the Slytherins.

"Nothing professor. We were just talking. Apparently we have a lot of differences to settle," he said dryly, ignoring the Slytherins and Gryffindors, who looked to be on the verge of objecting to this statement.

"Is that correct Malfoy?" asked Snape and turned to Malfoy who reluctantly nodded. "Very well, move on. Classes start in a few minutes, and I would truly hate being forced to take away more points from Gryffindor," he said in a silky voice and stalked away. As soon as he was out of hearing range, all students, no matter what house, relaxed.

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Harry, together with the Lion's Pride, was one of the last to arrive to transfiguration. The classroom was already filled with Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, but to his relief he found that Ron and Hermione had saved him a spot between them.

Just when he sat down, McGonagall came in through the door, a big box floating behind her.

"Settle down class," she called in a crisp voice and directed the box to her desk. The box rattled ominously, and Harry wondered briefly if she had borrowed some of Hagrid's pets.

"Today we will start with cross-specie transfiguration. We will start with transfiguring a hamster to a mouse." She waved her wand towards the box, and a hamster floated out. With one slow deliberate wand movement, she transfigured the hamster into a mouse.

She transfigured the hamster back and put it back in the box before looking out over the troubled faces of the students.

"Animal transfigurations are a lot more difficult than just simply animated transfiguration," she said and brought down a chart behind her. "First thing to remember is that transfiguration doesn't create life – just imitates it. So, with that in mind…" she said and started her lesson.

Harry was bored out of his mind within one minute and repressed a loud groan. He glanced at the clock – there were still fifty-five minutes left of class. He sagged slightly and looked around the class. In his peripheral vision, he could see Hermione wave her wand discretely, and Harry felt magic wash over him – no doubt some obscure notice-me-not ward.

He edged closer and smiled towards Hermione, who gave him a toothy grin in return.

"So, what did Percy's letter say?" he asked and turned to Ron, who seemed to be still sulking, but at least he made an effort to keep it inside.

It was Hermione who answered. "He said that he might be promoted," she said and frowned in displeasure. "Umbridge is looking for a new assistant and Percy has been asked."

"You have to dissuade him. Umbridge won't stay in office for much longer whether it is my own doing or someone else's. That creature is not fit for any position of power, and when she goes down, she'll drag anyone with her," grumbled Harry, turning to Ron before glancing around them to make sure no one was listening.

"Yeah, he should probably stay with Fudge in the Department for International Cooperation. Fudge might be an idiot but Percy will be safe there," agreed Hermione.

"It won't be easy to convince him; to be offered a job within the minister's office…we need a reason why he shouldn't. Percy is ecstatic over the prospect of getting a foot inside the minister's office...but then again it might be good to have him inside the minister's office," mused Ron.

"Well at least warn him, and then he can see what he wants to do. Personally I can't imagine anyone would want to work with that toad," said Harry with contempt.

"Mr Weasley!" a voice suddenly penetrated Hermione's ward, and the trio looked up into the annoyed face of McGonagall. "Now that I have your attention, maybe you can summarize for the class the basics of cross-species transfiguration." Her voice was irritated, and it was obvious that she didn't expect Ron to answer.

"Um… it's important to remember that the animal has real life in it," said Ron hesitantly as he never really had gotten to research the theory. He just learned what he was supposed to do, how to do it and why it happened. "Eh…and you need to have a basic understanding of the things you want to change…like anatomy and stuff," he rambled off, managing to do it without looking at Hermione, who was without doubt shaking her head in exasperation.

"That is a very simple explanation," said McGonagall and, to Ron's relief, looked as if she was about to go on with the class. However, instead she retrieved one of the hamsters and plopped it down on his desk. "Now we have come to the practical part. Maybe Mr. Weasley wants to make a try?"

Annoyance simmered carefully close to the surface, and Ron suddenly wished he was back in his old life and body. Then, people knew not to test his temper, and if they did he could always chew their heads off – quite literary. But he wouldn't have become Harry's second-in-command if he allowed anger to cloud his judgment. So instead of answering like he wanted to, he just gave an unnoticeable sigh and went for his wand when something was pushed into his hand under the desk.

By the feel of it, it was his wand, and he looked questioningly at Harry. Harry only smirked and motioned for him to go on. He did so and lifted the wand that looked like his own, only it wasn't. In fact it wasn't even a wand. A_ conjured wand-looking stick Harry?_ he thought befuddled, unable to figure out what Harry meant for him to do.

"Go on then Ron," urged Harry. "I'm sure it will be good practice this way," said Harry encouragingly.

"Okay," said Ron, getting what Harry meant. He raised the fake wand and did the correct wand motion. In his mind, he pictured the entire process of changing the hamster. Staring at the hamster and concentrating hard, he willed his magic to change the animal. He felt his magic stir within him, and he urged it on, focusing on the hamster. Slowly the hamster started to transform, but then he lost his concentration and, without a wand as a focus point, the magic retreated back into him again.

Ron blinked and looked at the hamster he had meant to transform; it now had a mouse face.

"Well done Mr Weasley," came McGonagall's crisp voice, and Ron could detect that she was surprised that he had managed to do anything at all. "So everyone, take a hamster and try to change it. Don't worry if you don't manage it at the first try," she said, and the class scrambled to get a hamster. A lot of cooing came from the girls as they petted the little animals. "Don't play with the hamsters! They are for transfiguration only," cried McGonagall and went to the front to try to settle down the class again.

"Good idea Ron!" said Hermione and easily conjured a fake wand too. "We can practice our wandless magic and get something out of these unnecessary lessons."

"It was Harry's idea," said Ron grumpily. "Did you see how she singled me out! I mean, what was that about?"

"You seem to have gotten your own Snape," said Harry and fancily waved around his own fake wand, effortlessly changing the hamster into a mouse.

"How do you do it!" asked Hermione in a slightly awed and jealous voice. She herself waved her wand and managed, just like Ron had, a partly transfiguration.

"It's easy," shrugged Harry unhelpfully. "Feel the magic flowing through your veins, follow the magic as it leaves your body, be the magic and focus on your intentions," he said with a smile, causing Hermione to smile too and Ron to grumble unhappily.

"Do you need any help Mr. Potter?" asked McGonagall as she had finished her lap around the classroom.

"No Professor. I have already transfigured my hamster," said Harry and held up his mouse.

"Oh," said McGonagall stunned and studied the mouse closely. "Amazing," she said after a while and gave him one of her rare smiles. "Maybe your talent is starting to shine through; I remember that your father was excellent in Transfiguration. Ten points to Gryffindor," she said and continued down the aisle.

As it turned out it was only five in the class who managed to transfigure their hamster. The first one was Harry, followed by Ron and Hermione who had, in the last seconds, managed to transfigure their hamsters with their fake wands. The others were one of the Ravenclaws and Rose.

"How come you are so good at transfiguration so suddenly?" asked Rose sullenly as they walked out the classroom.

"I studied during summer," answered Harry calmly.

"No you didn't, you were just lazing around. I don't think you picked up a single book, least of all one on transfiguration."

"Don't assume you know everything I did this summer. You can't have kept track of my every move, seeing as you were so busy yourself."

"You still didn't say how you did it!"

"Eh Rose, drop it. Maybe it was just a fluke. You're still best in the class," said Neville in a placating voice.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I think that Hermione has always held and still holds the title of best in class," said Ron.

"Yeah, but she doesn't count. She is like an anomaly," shrugged Neville, but the trio wasn't listening anymore. Their attention was fixed on a scene that was playing out on the other side of the corridor.

A gang of what looked like fourth and fifth year Ravenclaw girls stood around a thirteen year old Luna Lovegood. Luna stood pressed towards the wall, holding loosely onto her strawberry-shaped book bag. Her hair flowed down her back as she stared ahead of her, as if the Ravenclaws weren't all around her.

"Let's go. We were supposed to meet Ginny and Matthew in the entrance hall," said Rose, pretending not to see the Ravenclaws who had gripped Luna's necklace.

Neville nodded and started down the hallway, leaving the trio alone in the corridor. They didn't need any words between them as they strode over the corridor to the Ravenclaws.

"What Loony? Why don't you ask the Wracksprack for help," said one of the Ravenclaws.

"It's a Wrackspurt," said Luna in her normal dreamy voice and continued, "and they wouldn't help…unless you want to become a bit fuzzy headed."

The Ravenclaws giggled in a girly way that really grated on Hermione's nerves.

"Honestly, Loony, what are you? A three year old?" said the Ravenclaw, who was now flinging Luna's necklace around carelessly. "You are an embarrassment to the rest of us!"

"Leave Luna alone!" said Hermione in a perfect imitation of Professor McGonagall, causing the Ravenclaws to turn around and look at them.

"What is it to you? She is not even one of yours," said the one of the Ravenclaws after a quick glance at their Gryffindor crest.

"You misunderstood us," growled Ron and raised his wand. "It wasn't a request. It was an order!"

"Oh yeah what are you gonna do?" mocked one of the Ravenclaws.

Ron growled again and looked as if he actually was about to attack. Harry firmly grabbed his shoulder, and Ron threw a dirty look at him. Harry just glared back and nodded his head towards Hermione in a silent order. With an annoyed look at Harry and one final leer towards the Ravenclaws, Ron backed down and turned back to Hermione.

"To clear up what Ron meant, we will hurt you if you continue to harass Luna. We won't let this continue any longer," he said and crossed his arms. When he saw that they weren't yet convinced he added, "unless you need some persuasion, Hermione is surprisingly good with hexes. When we are through with you, you won't be able to tell the difference between you and a Blast-ended Screwt." He didn't know if it was the threat, ridiculous as it was, coupled with the fact that it was the "meek Potter" who said it, or something else that made the Ravenclaws back down.

He wasn't about to waste any more time at the bullies as he turned towards Luna. "Luna," he said and held out his hand towards the blonde girl who stared at him with unblinking eyes. "Come with us, please," he said and gave her a friendly smile.

Luna smiled serenely back at him, seemingly forgetful of the Ravenclaws around her and glided over to him.

"Thank you Harry," she said with an odd emphasis on 'Harry.'

"You okay?" he asked fondly and led her away from the Ravenclaws, who seemed annoyed, but Ron's scowling face seemed to dissuade them from commenting.

"I'm fine," she said vaguely, but Harry could hear some uncertainty in her voice. "It was very gallant of you to save me. Not many care."

"We do care. We would like you to be our friend," said Harry.

"I'd like that. I've never had a friend before," she said and looked up at Harry with slightly more focused eyes.

"Friends," came Hermione's voice from behind them. "We know you quite well Luna, all of your little traits, and we like every one of them."

They all stopped by a window, and Luna let her eyes drift over them. Almost unconsciously had the trio positioned themselves close to each other.

"Why do you care now though?" she suddenly mused out loud. "You haven't talked to me before, and if I recall correctly you," she pointed at Ron, "laughed at me when Malfoy cursed me with that Tarantellegra curse."

"Sorry about that," said Ron uncomfortably and scratched his neck. "I wasn't really myself back then. I believe we all had an infestation of Wrackspurts this summer. We are all quite different now."

"Hmm," said Luna noncommittally. "That could explain it," she continued thoughtfully. She stared at them unblinkingly for a few minutes before she started shifting and turned her eyes out through the window, humming an odd tune.

"So what were you doing just now that would make the Ravenclaws tease you?" asked Harry to get rid of the longwinded silence.

"I don't know, but I lost the track from the Striped Trunk-muckle. I've been following them to find their nest," she said and glanced around the room as if expecting to see it.

"Never heard of Striped Trunk-muckles," said Hermione and managed to hold her skepticism out of her voce.

"Not many have," said Luna unconcerned. "You can only see them if you don't look for them – they are awfully shy."

"But if you can't find them when you look for them how could you look for them?" asked Ron confused.

"Because I'm not out to find them – just look for them," she said as if that explained everything.

"Okay…" said Ron confusedly before shrugging acceptingly. "We have a break now; do you need help looking for them?"

"That would be very nice, but no thank you, I'll be fine. It was very nice to meet you. Maybe we will run into each other again," she said loftily and drifted down the hallway.

"She is unique," said Ron fondly as they watched her wave to all the armors she walked past, unconcerned of all the strange looks she received.

Hermione gave a short laugh. "More like cut off from reality. Life must be a lot easier that way. Come on, let's get to history of magic."

"We can use that time to write back to Percy and Remus," said Ron and started to dig around his bag for a quill.

"You really should listen you know. You may be skillful in most subjects, but you are still abysmal in history," said Hermione, frowning at them.

"Asch, relax Mione. If we ever need an answer we'll just ask you, and you are a much better teacher than Binns," said Harry and gave her a quick hug.

"It can't hurt to have some knowledge in that head of yours," said Hermione cynically.

"Hey Mione, can't you find some exorcism spell to get rid of Binns?" asked Ron, having not paid attention to what she said in his search for a quill.

"Exorcism is highly restricted magic and only permitted to those employed by the ministry," sniffed Hermione. "Besides most spells are dangerous."

"But that wouldn't stop Ice now would it?" smirked Harry.

Hermione pretended to have not heard as she entered the classroom, but secretly she went through all spells she knew about exorcism. It was many because Hermione, despite being an undisputable Light witch, had had access to some of the most Dark and evil books in the history of wizards. It was amazing what kind of tomes they would come across every time they raided an old pureblood mansion, and every single one of those tomes ended up with Hermione. Yes, she knew a lot of Dark spells.

History of magic was spent with Harry and Ron finishing their letters and for the remainder of the lesson playing hangman while Hermione sat reading a book on advanced warding – everything conveniently obscured behind notice-me-not charms.

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Hermione nimbly jumped out through the portrait hole, and her heart twang in her chest, elated over a nightly adventure that didn't involve risk of death. Behind her came Ron, an irritated scowl carefully concealed behind a blank face.

Ron's temper had been absolutely awful the entire day, and he had even scared a bunch of first years by snapping at them for talking too loud. Needless to say the Gryffindors had given Ron a wide berth after that. Harry and Hermione were the only ones to endure Ron's temper and, as a result, they were the only ones sitting with Ron in his isolated spot in the common room.

"Come on," came Harry's whispered voice from somewhere in front of her. It was hard to see because even if the sun had barely disappeared behind the hills, Harry drawn out shadows, filling the corridor in grey half-light. It was a few minutes left till curfew, and most of the students were already safely in the dorms. Only a few of the older years could be seen coming from the library with tired and haggard expressions – and of course the occasional couple sneaking off towards the Astronomy tower.

She giggled softly despite herself and Harry, who had come back, looked inquiringly at her.

"I feel so childish," she said, still with a smile on her face. "Imagine! We are sneaking around in Hogwarts. It's so out-of-proportions ridiculous."

"I don't find anything amusing with this," grumbled Ron. "It's just a big inconvenience."

"Never thought we would have to avoid Snape, Filch and Mrs. Norris again," said Hermione, ignoring Ron's mood.

They went down towards the first floor and the One-eyed witch, the secret tunnel that would lead to Honeydukes.

They moved swiftly and soundlessly, concentrating fully on their surroundings. Nothing escaped their notice, so when they turned around a corner and came face to face with three shapes, they simply halted. Seeing that it was three familiar Slytherins, they didn't even bother to draw their wands.

For a second, they only stared at each other, the Slytherins wary and unpleasantly reminded that they were out after curfew. After a few seconds of silently evaluating each other, Harry nodded towards them and moved to get past them.

"Good evening," said Harry pleasantly as if they always ran into "enemy" students after curfew.

"Don't you know it's after curfew?" said Malfoy. "Eager to lose Gryffindor more points?"

"We are not the only ones out," said Harry and looked pointedly at the three Slytherins. He had stopped right in front of them and looked as if he just had stopped to chat with some friends. "I see this as a stalemate. We won't tell on you and you won't tell on us. Agreed?"

"And how do we know that you won't just tell on us?" asked Nott suspiciously.

Harry rolled his eyes. "How could we give such a testimony without getting ourselves in trouble?"

The Slytherins were quiet for awhile before they seemed to realize that they couldn't get the Gryffindors in trouble.

"Very well, we have a truce then," said Zabini in a faux happy voice. "Let's carry on. We still need to get Malfoy's quills from the library," he said in a painfully obvious lie. Nott and Malfoy rolled their eyes at their comrade.

"Yeah, the quills," said Nott in a deadpan voice and added so low that no one except for Ron could hear, "never mind that the library is closed by now!"

Malfoy on the other hand stared intently at the trio of Gryffindors, taking in their thick cloaks and sturdy dragon hide boots.

"And where are you going? Certainly not the library."

"Well, we definitely won't tell you the truth but a lie will be quite suitable, don't you think?" said Harry in a serious voice. "We are just going to play tag with Filch," said Harry, giving an equal discernable lie.

"Have fun with that," smirked Malfoy and added, "I look forward to seeing the Gryffindor hourglass tomorrow. Come let's go," he ordered his friends, and the two groups parted, each in their own direction.

When the trio had gotten around the corner, they slowed down somewhat and listened intently.

"I can't hear them. Must have applied silencing spells," muttered Ron after awhile.

"Here let me," said Harry and waved his wand, erecting a triggering ward. He nodded satisfied and they continued on their way. It was first when they reached a passage on the fifth floor that Ron spoke up.

"You know, I really would like to play tag with Filch."

"Why would you like that?" said Hermione and wrinkled her nose. "The moment he realizes he can't catch you, he will alert the teachers, Snape first of all."

"Yeah, imagine the training we would get from that!" said Ron shrewdly.

"Imagine the suspicion we would face should we get caught," retorted Hermione blandly.

"Okay, they are definitely following us – they have stepped in every single ward I have erected," said Harry, interrupting them.

"Amateurs," snorted Ron as he turned his head to listen but still unable to pick out any sounds.

"Can we put up some stronger wards? Maybe a password protected one? Can't have any Slytherins snooping around to see us disappear behind the One-eyed witch," said Harry, turning to Hermione inquiringly.

"How about this?" said Hermione and waved her wand so she covered the entire corridor. From wall to wall, a shimmering green curtain fanned out and cut the corridor in two. The glowing green barrier faded until a weak shimmer was the only evidence of the barrier – an excellently performed ward.

"I've got a barrier up; password is 'Maintenance work on the Piccadilly line', that should stop the Slytherins."

"Brilliant, now let's go," said Ron urgently and they continued towards the One-eyed witch where they slipped into the passageway and went for Honeydukes.

The pub was still open and filled with wizard and witches when they climbed out from the secret door in the cellar. No one noticed the three fourteen-year-olds sneaking up from the basement, probably due to all the powerful enchantments cast over the three.

Harry, Ron and Hermione escaped the pub and went for the forbidden forest. They found the same clearing they had visited during the summer and waited patiently for the moon to rise.

They didn't have to wait long as yet again the forbidden forest was filled with the ruckus that accompanied a werewolf, a shadow wolf and a gold eyed owl playing together. Tonight Slypaw, Traceless and Goldeye, the heirs of the Marauders roamed the forest.

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The next day, Harry and Ron stumbled down from the boys' dorm, tired, sore and queasy-looking. The glamours they had applied helped somewhat to hide it, but it was still plain for everyone to see that they hadn't slept well last night.

In the common room they met up with Hermione, who looked decidedly better, a bit worn out but at least she didn't look like she had been wrestling with giants. She jumped up lithely and joined them, reveling in their envious looks as they carefully maneuvered their bruised and stiff bodies.

"So…I take it that we won't be going out running today!" she said happily and laughed at them as they sank down in the sofa. Ron did so with the look of someone who would never stand up again.

"Shut up Goldeye!" said Harry as he hesitantly stretched out his arms over his head, wincing as he did so. "You played chicken again, always two wing flaps away, so who is left to play with Slypaw?" he chastised.

"What do you expect me to do? I prefer not to be a chewing toy to an overgrown mutt," said Hermione sweetly.

"Slypaw wouldn't eat you…maybe nibble a bit," said Ron with his eyes closed. He looked exhausted, but they had chosen to go to classes today, realizing that not going would point out to people that they were mysteriously sick after every full moon. That's how the Marauders had discovered Remus, and the trio wasn't about to make the same mistake.

"Come on, let's go to Madame Pomfrey and get some pepper up potions," suggested Hermione and made to stand up. Harry and Ron remained sitting – Ron because he was almost asleep again, Harry for another reason entirely.

"Can't do that, she will notice Ron's symptoms immediately," he said and frowned thoughtfully.

"But Ron won't survive a day like this! Just look at him!" she exclaimed and pointed at Ron, whose eyes looked strangely vacant.

"He'll survive. He has us to lead him to the right classroom should he start sleepwalking," he said with a grin.

"This is not funny. If he doesn't get proper rest he will be tired for weeks, you know…" she stopped abruptly when Harry gave an unperceivable shake of his head and shifted his gaze to look behind her.

"I know you told us not to stay up all night, but admit it was fun," he said in a loud voice that managed to rouse Ron somewhat.

"What?" Ron asked confused and looked around before moving to lean on Harry's shoulder. Harry intercepted his arm and pushed him to sleep against the armrest in stead. At the same moment the Lion's Pride ascended on them.

"What were you doing last night?" asked Matthew accusingly. Harry paused and suddenly recalled that they probably had the Marauders' map. One look on their faces confirmed it. _Damn! They definitely know that we were out._

"Nothing. Just breaking curfew, antagonizing Filch," said Hermione nonplussed, continuing the story they had presented to the Slytherins.

"What!" said Rose and stared at them wide eyed. "Why?"

"We thought it could be amusing," said Harry dryly.

"Yeah, we get that, what we don't get is why you of all people did it. You not exactly the fun Gryffindors and Granger would rather make out with a flobberworm than breaking a rule."

"Well we did as you probably already know due to a certain map, so what are you gonna do about it," said Ron sleepily. Harry was surprised; he had thought Ron wasn't listening at all.

"How do you know about the map?" asked Rose suspiciously.

"We know everything," said Harry with a perfectly straight face. "And I find it a bit unfair that you should be the only ones to have the map. I'm an heir to Prongs too."

"But we have two heirs," countered Ginny and pointed at Rose and Matthew.

"I still think that we should share. We have need for it too," persisted Harry.

"What for?" asked Rose curiously despite herself.

"We promised ourselves that we would start to prank back," said Hermione in a voice that implied that she thought such ideas to be completely preposterous.

"Did you? No offence, but you just don't have what it takes to prank. I mean, you are a model student, you're rubbish in every subject and you just keep making a fool of yourself," said Ginny as she pointed at Hermione, Harry and Ron respectively.

"You would get caught straight away and then the map will be confiscated and my dad will kill me," said Rose.

"Oh, you think we can't prank and get away with it?" said Harry.

Rose snorted. "Duh, no I don't. Even we get caught, and we are the best pranksters there are."

"So what about a bet? We will create a prank, perform it. If we succeed we get to have the map," said Ron.

"And what if you lose?" asked Neville calculatingly.

"We'll let you use us in your next prank," said Hermione dismissively.

The Lion's Pride got together and whispered among themselves so that only Ron could hear what they said. He turned scowling to Hermione.

"If we lose this bet, we'll memory charm them. There is no way I'm gonna take a love potion directed towards Celeste Lestrange!"

"But we won't lose. Don't say you fear being bested my some fourteen years olds," commented Harry in a low whisper.

"Okay," said Neville as the group turned to face them again. "We're in, but you are not allowed to use the map for the prank, and it has to be done within three weeks."

The trio nodded and then left for breakfast.

"I still think we could have just obliviated them and taken…" started Ron but was interrupted by a yawn. He stretched his arms and his joints cracked unpleasantly.

"Weren't we supposed to act like teenagers? I'm sure we can think of something. Nice to take the mind off all the war scheming," said Harry amiably as they walked out through the portrait hole.

However, they had barely gotten away from the portrait when Harry stopped and stared intently in the air in front of him.

"Hermione?" he inquired hesitantly.

"I'm on it," was her answer as she stepped forward and waved her wand while muttering an incantation. "It's just a ward, very ingeniously done…it's designed to place an enchantment on whomever steps in it."

"What kind of enchantment?" asked Harry immediately while eying the ward warily.

"It seems to be a…" Hermione frowned and stared intently at the faintly shimmering ward. "… some kind of a sticking charm…a very advanced and multi-functioning sticking charm. Oh it's time delayed too. Impressive, it must have taken someone all night to set it up," she said appreciatingly.

"So I guess that's what Malfoy, Nott and Zabini were up to. They went in this direction when we met them. They must have wanted to set it up close to the Gryffindor tower."

"So shall I disable it?" asked Hermione hesitantly. "It feels a bit mean to do that. It is an amazing work of magic. If it's only a prank…"

Suddenly Harry grabbed the two of them and flashed with phoenix fire over to the other side of the barrier.

"I think we'll let the Slytherins have their revenge prank," said Harry generously. In the same moment, a seventh year Gryffindor walked around the corner. He slowed down a few steps in front of the ward and looked over at the Trio.

"What?" asked he bewildered when he noticed the three staring at him.

"Nothing," said Harry airily. "We're just waiting for someone."

The seventh year Gryffindor then shrugged and continued, walking straight through the ward. Nothing extraordinary happened, and the seventh year hurried further down the hall, a bit spooked out by the piercing stares from the three younger years.

"Why do I get the feeling that today is going to be interesting?" said Hermione amusedly as they continued walking at the same time as a bunch of Gryffindor fifth year girls stepped through the ward.

They arrived late to breakfast and discovered that Hedwig was already waiting for them, a letter in her talons.

"It's from Percy," said Harry after the normal spell check had turned up negative.

"We'll read it in the breaks. We'll never get any privacy here," said Ron, who put the letter in his pocket. He looked a bit more awake now after two cups of coffee.

They were just trying to remember how long they had studied the blast-ended Screwts last time around (and, more importantly; when they would be rid of the little monsters and move on to less dangerous creatures).

"But knowing Hagrid that won't happen. I think I recall having studied Ashwinders," grumbled Ron.

"No, I think it was Augureys," said Hermione and was interrupted when commotion erupted all around them.

To their left, Neville tried to get rid of his cup that had unexplainably become stuck to his hand. Rose was stuck with a spoon in her mouth and behind them Fred and George having a wrestling match – both trying to get away from each other. And they were not the only ones; Gryffindors all over the table were now experiencing the inconvenience of having things getting stuck to them. Two poor seventh years seemed to have been snogging when the spell took effect and were now in a permanent tongue lock.

They looked over to Slytherin table only to see Malfoy, Nott and Zabini staring at the spectacle with glee. They looked a bit tired, but nothing, it seemed, could dampen their elation over the Gryffindors misfortune.

"So that would explain what three Slytherins were doing so close to the Gryffindor common room in the middle of the night," said Harry with a smirk. The three of them were the only ones not to have been affected by the prank.

"Did you know about this!" shouted Matthew from down the table. He was shaking a potions book in his hand, trying in vain to get rid of it.

"Know about it? We even know how they did it," snorted Hermione and demonstratively let go of her goblet.

"Then why didn't you stop it!" cried Mathew

"How come the table manners at this particular table are even worse than usual?" came a silky voice from behind them.

Snape came from the big doors and took in the scene, his amusement at the scene quickly hidden behind a mask of disdain. The two seventh years stuck to each other stumbled forward to Snape and started to shout something that sounded like "ugh um ghu rougr guuh!"

"Ten points from Gryffindor for unacceptable behavior, Cresswell and Fenwick. I suggest you part from each other now!" Snape sounded like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

"It's not our fault Professor – it's the Slytherins! They spelled us to get stuck to everything we touch," said Matthew and waved the potions book in Snape's face. Snape stared at Matthew with barely hidden contempt.

"And can you prove it Mr. Black?"

Matthew stopped for a second before turning to Harry. "Hey Harry can! He saw the Slytherins, right Harry?" he shouted and without thinking went to grab Harry. Harry tried to jump away, but Matthew managed to get a hold of his arm. Harry yanked his arm back but Matthew was now stuck. Ron started laughing hysterically at his side. Annoyed, Harry shook his arm, Matthew dangling from side to side.

"So Mr. Potter, did you see any Slytherins performing a prank?" asked Snape in a sly voice, completely ignoring Harry's plight.

"No Professor, they must have been out after curfew, so I never saw them," he said without looking up, still busy trying to pry Matthew off him.

"Then I see no problem. The enchantments will probably wear off in a few hours. In the mean time, I suggest that you make the best of this Mr. Black. You might as well read the book in your hand, and you might actually have a chance at passing potions. Maybe getting a potions book stuck in your hand should be seen as a sign."

He turned to go back to the Head table when a sixth year Gryffindor with a hairbrush stuck in her hair cried out to him.

"But Professor, won't you help us!"

He turned and stared at her up and down. "As I see it, it's nothing detrimental to your health or learning abilities, so I see no reason to take it away. The spell should wear of within a few hours," he said and started walking away, the entire Gryffindor table gawking in disbelief after him.

"Why don't you touch the Professor?" suggested Ron in a loud voice before anyone would think of turning to the other teachers for help. "Then he might be more inclined to break the enchantments."

Several of the Gryffindors stopped and stared speculatively at the Professor. Fred and George stopped their wrestling match and grinned.

"Excellent idea, brother dearest," said Fred and helped George up. They started towards Snape, who lifted his wand threateningly.

"Anyone who touches me will lose fifty points and have detention for the rest of the year!" Too late though as Fred and George ran towards him. Snape lifted his wand and soundlessly cast a banishing spell. A quick intervention from Hermione negated his spell though. Snape's eyes widened and he managed a few steps backwards before the twins slammed into him.

Everyone in the hall had now stopped whatever they had been doing and stared hypnotized as the three fell to the floor in a mass of flaying arms and legs.

After a few seconds of rolling around, Snape managed to extract himself.

"Weasley and Weasley, hundred points from Gryffindor and detention!" he shouted, outraged. It probably would have looked more intimidating if Fred wasn't stuck with his hand to Snape's stomach and Georges's arm stuck on Snape's shoulder.

"Sorry Professor, I tripped," said Fred innocently while tugging at his arm, managing to throw Snape off balance.

"Can someone tell me why Gryffindor is suddenly down to fifteen points?" asked someone coming from the entrance hall. Some of the Gryffindors groaned as they realized that Fred and George had just cost them a hundred points.

Not Rose though, who innocently called up to McGonagall as she made her way down to the Gryffindor table.

"Professor! Is it possible for a house to lose points into the negative?"

"No, of course not," said McGonagall and watched in bewilderment as Rose darted from her spot and slammed into Snape.

Snape, Fred and George, who had just managed to stand up, were thrown to the floor again.

"Potter! Fifty points from Gryffindor," came Snape's snarling voice from somewhere within the pile.

"But Professor, that would make Gryffindor go into the negative," replied Rose cheekily. The mass of bodies shifted, and it was revealed that Rose's head was stuck to Snape's side and one hand against George's neck. It looked quite uncomfortable.

"With nothing to lose!" screamed Matthew suddenly as he charged forward, forcing Harry to run after. Without slowing down he barged into Fred and got stuck in various places.

Harry fell down and couldn't really see what happened afterwards, but judging from the screaming and the chaos of bodies around him, he would guess that the entire Gryffindor table had attached themselves to the growing human ball.

He was just contemplating whether or not he should interfere when a foot appeared one inch away from his face. The foot didn't smell that nicely, so Harry twisted away from it and came face to face with Snape.

Snape lay pressed to the floor, another stinking foot on his head and, from his pained expression, Harry guessed that his genitals were in a quite uncomfortable position as well.

The mass on top of Snape shifted and the potions master gasped when his airways were cut off. Harry, upon realizing that he was in real pain, flicked his wand, and the bodies over Snape flied up in the air were they remained hanging upside down.

Snape saw him and narrowed his eyes at the spell he had used; it was one of his own invented ones. Harry gave him a knowing smirk that disappeared when Snape thrust his hand out towards him.

"Give me your wand Potter!" he demanded. "I need to put an end to this calamity."

"Where is your own wand Professor?" asked Harry, completely ignoring Snape's outstretched hand.

"I lost it somewhere under all these reckless Gryffindors. Now give me your wand!"

"I think not Professor. It is my wand, and I will not give it up that easily," said Harry and teasingly held his wand away from Snape.

"You give me that wand now Potter or I…" started Snape but was interrupted when the entire mass of bodies suddenly floated up in the air. The thrashing and screaming that had surrounded him suddenly turned to silence as Gryffindors floated weightlessly around in the great hall, still connected to each other in an unsymmetrical pattern.

Harry finally saw to whom he had been stuck with. Matthew was still stuck to him, but now were also Snape, Rose, Colin Creevy, a small Gryffindor first year and Alicia Spinnet stuck to him.

He made a flip in the air and came face to face with Snape again. Snape was currently in the process of obtaining a wand from a younger Gryffindor.

"Give me your wand Williamson!"

The scared second year acquiesced and handed over his wand only to have it snatched away by Harry, who held it out of reach from both of them.

"You shouldn't give up your wand just like that," he warned harshly and gave it back to the owner. He took it shakily and put it in his back pocket. Harry thought briefly of telling him off, but then shrugged; none in the Army had ever blown their buttocks up. Eventually they had come to the conclusion that Moody's paranoia wasn't one hundred percent sane. No surprise there.

"Potter!" thundered Snape, but Harry interrupted him as the Gryffindor boy escaped behind Harry.

"You don't need it, McGonagall have found your wand, Hermione's keeping the students from falling and Dumbledore is about to release everyone from the spell," said Harry, who had already found Hermione standing with her wand raised in the air. He could see it took quite a lot of concentration to hold up all the students in the air. Professor Flitwick certainly didn't help matters by jumping up and down at her side, giddy from her use of an advanced floating charm.

Dumbledore waved his wand in a complicated wand movement, and the students were released from each other.

"Now Miss Granger, if you could carefully cancel the charm you have up," said Dumbledore with a smile, his eyes sparkling. He held his wand at the ready as Hermione slowly lowered all students to the floor.

"Imagine Professor Snape," said Harry casually as they were lowered to the floor. "All of this would probably have been avoided if you had helped the Gryffindors. Makes you wonder if you perhaps should change your attitude, doesn't it?"

Snape didn't get a chance to answer because in that moment they all touched ground and Dumbledore exclaimed, "Brilliant, twenty points to Gryffindor for excellent charms work, although I suspect our dear Flitwick would like to add more," the headmaster added with a chuckle.

"Twenty points! That was worth at least fifty! Amazing, simply amazing Miss Granger!" said Flitwick excitingly.

"I think all students should hurry to their classes, which started ten minutes ago," said McGonagall crisply, looking not too pleased with her Gryffindors. The loss of Gryffindor's all one hundred and fifteen points probably had something to do with it.

The Gryffindors seemed not to care though as they excitedly talked to each other on their way to their classrooms. Even the rest of the school talked happily about the prank even if certain Slytherins seemed to be a bit confused over how their prank ended up.

"You should have seen the look on your face Harry! Brilliant! Oh I wish I had a picture," laughed Hermione as they too left the room. "The moment Matthew grabbed you! Priceless!"

"We can hound Colin into giving us the pictures. His camera had gotten stuck to his hands so he was snapping photos like crazy," said Ron. "Makes me wish we hadn't avoided the ward. Hermione and I were the only ones not participating in Snape's snuggling party," said Ron wistfully.

A couple of Ravenclaws heard him and giggled, and by the end of the day, the prank was known as "Snape's snuggling party".

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"So let's hear what Percy writes," said Hermione as she made herself comfortable in Ron's lap, Harry's head resting over her legs. It was lunch break, and they had gotten some food from the Great Hall and had, due to the horrible weather, retreated to the Room of Requirements.

"I asked him if he could dig up some Azkaban records and info about Death Eaters, particularly the Inner Circle and Crouch," said Ron and started reading the letter out loud.

Percy had been more helpful than they had thought and had even sent lists of all captured Death Eaters. On the Azkaban list, there were even names they hadn't seen before like Evan Rosier and Dorella Wilkes, but the troubling part wasn't the unknown names on the list. It was the names that weren't on the list that made their innards twist unpleasantly.

"I see no Lestrange on this list," said Hermione and looked through the list again as if hoping Bellatrix's name would magically appear.

"Maybe they were given the Kiss," said Harry hopefully. "That would solve a lot of problems."

"No, a list of the Kissed is underneath and there have only been two in the last fifty years," said Hermione.

"Wait, Percy has added his own notes; some Death Eaters escaped the aurors the same night You-know-who fell. Bellatrix, Rabastan, Rodolphus Lestrange, Peter Pettigrew, the Carrow siblings and Teowald Travers have evaded capture for fourteen years. Apparently the aurors believe that they are in the same place and are receiving help from relatives." Ron read out loud Percy's last scribbled lines. "The aurors calls them the Loyals, and although it's not confirmed, it is believed that they are working to return He-who-must-not-be-named to power."

The name triggered something in Harry's head, and he closed his eyes, trying to recall why it sounded familiar.

"I've heard that before," said Ron slowly, he too trying to remember.

"The world cup!" said Harry suddenly as a conversation emerged in his head with startling clarity. "Ron! Remember when we spied on those Death Eaters? They were talking about the Loyals who didn't approve of their little revel!"

"…oh…I had completely forgotten about that. You think the "bitch" they were talking about was Bellatrix?"

"Could be…hmm what did they say?"

"She doesn't command us, for twelve years she has been bossing us around, using the excuse that she is preparing for the Dark Lord's return, but I have yet to see any proof of His return. How do we even now that she is trying to find Him? I think she is trying to take His place," recited Ron who amazingly remembered the dialogue.

Hermione, who had been silent during their exchange, leaned backwards and twirled her hair in her hand.

"So, assume that these Loyals, with Bellatrix as the leader, have been hiding away and organized the Death Eaters for the last decade, what does that mean?"

"Not really organizing the Death Eaters. They don't obey her," objected Harry.

"But still her words have weight, and they'll probably have a lot more connections now. They've had fourteen years to infiltrate places like the ministry."

"Guess we know the answer to why there are so many Death Eater names in Hogwarts," said Harry mordantly.

"But still, all Death Eaters are accounted for: they are either dead, on the run, in Azkaban, or claiming Imperius."

"What about Crouch?" asked Harry as Ron looked through his notes.

"Percy says he is dead but also hints about reading copies of the Daily Prophet from 1982."

"The library has a collection of old Prophets," interjected Hermione.

"What shall we do about the so called Loyals…and the ones claiming Imperius?"

"Not much we can do, at least not as long the trace is on," said Harry, taking the role as the leader. Seeing their unhappy nods, he continued, twirling his wand lazily as he did so. "After we have removed the trace…well I'm in favor for just killing them. Anyone oppose?" The question was directed to Hermione, who was the only one to really object to such a ruthless tactic.

"Not without evidence," she said finally. "And we should keep to our original plan of not drawing attention to ourselves."

"At least the bad guys are lying low too, otherwise we would have heard something. That's not to say that they are not plotting anything," said Ron, earning a small smile from Harry.

"We just have to be vigilant then…and work on breaking that damned trace."

They got up and headed for the library, accompanied by Ron's moaning about never-ending-library-visits. At twenty years of age, Ron had decided that he was a man of action and would never, even if the fate of the world depended on it, find the solution in a book. These days it seemed that the only thing they were doing was hang around in the library, comparing books and lists. He was thankful to Hermione, who did all their school work. He was certain he would turn crazy if he would have to open a potions book too!

"By the way," whispered Hermione as they entered the library. "Did Percy take the job with the toad?"

"No, he actually heeded our advice. Apparently she became insulted that the lowly assistant turned her down. He got himself an enemy there."

"Good for him, and I guess Fudge was satisfied with Percy deciding to stay with him instead of transferring to the Minister's office," said Harry and added sardonically, "I hope he remembers such an act of loyalty in the years to come."

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The weeks disappeared quickly, and suddenly it was time for Moody's Imperius lesson.

"But it's illegal," Parvati cried out when Moody/Crouch had made the announcement.

"Dumbledore wants you to know what it feels like," said Moody/Crouch, and the objections in the class died out. _Yeah right, you only have to tell them that Dumbledore said it because Dumbledore can never be wrong_, thought Harry exasperatedly despite agreeing with the argument. If one was hit for the first time during a battle, there was no chance of fighting it off.

"But you can't just cast it on us. Our parents will know about this," said a nervous looking Ravenclaw in a shaking voice.

"I'm not forcing anyone to participate. If you rather learn the hard way when someone puts it on you during battle, fine with me. The door is over there," he said and pointed a gnarled finger at the door.

Nobody moved.

"No more objections? Then let's get started." And with that Moody/Crouch waved his wand and cleared away all the benches in the front of the classroom. Then he proceeded to put the Imperius on every single student.

Hermione glanced at Harry and Ron. Their faces looked as if they had been carved in marble. They had discussed what they should do when this lesson came. Harry and Ron had point blank refused to allow the Death Eater the smallest amount of control over their minds. She had argued against that, stating that they still should lay low. Not surprisingly she had lost the argument. Not that she was upset about it – she had only argued for the sake of it, to hold up the pretenses about being the responsible one when she in reality didn't want the Death Eater to even point his wand in her direction.

Hermione was the first one of the three of them, and Moody/Crouch pointed his wand at her. Her instincts urged her to defend herself, but she only tensed as any outward indication that she was uneasy.

"Imperio!" said Moody/Crouch, and the unforgivable slammed into her chest.

She suddenly felt light as all her problems vanished, and she floated in a sea of oblivion.

_Climb up on the desk. Climb up on the desk._ A bodiless voice told her. She seriously contemplated the suggestion for a second before she managed to throw the curse of. She was standing in the same spot. The other students stared at her curiously as she hadn't moved yet. Moody/Crouch was in front of her and looked perturbed that his curse didn't work. He waved his wand discreetly and she was assaulted a second time.

_Climb up on the desk! Climb up on the desk!_ The voice was more forceful this time but she easily ignored the tug on her consciousness. After a few more tries Moody/Crouch ended the curse and said in a gruff voice, "Congratulations Miss Granger, you managed to withstand my Imperius. Have you ever faced this curse before?" he asked rather tactlessly.

"No of course not," answered Hermione in an appalled voice and added for good measure, "it's illegal Professor!" It was a perfect imitation of the authority-abiding schoolgirl.

Moody/Crouch gave her a considering look. She could tell that she had managed to peak his interest. "Let's do it again, okay class. Have a look at Miss Grangers eyes. That's where you can see it." He put the Imperius on Hermione two more times, each time with the same result. Hermione knew for a fact that she had managed to make herself a target for closer scrutinizing – no one ever was that good at throwing off that curse on his or her first try. No, the only question was what conclusion Crouch would make. After Hermione it was Neville's turn. The Boy-who-lived was a bit slow at obeying his orders, but he ended up making a fool out of himself like everyone else.

Both Harry and Ron easily threw off the Imperius, earning them the admiration from the rest of the class.

"Potter, Weasley and Granger, stay after class," called Moody/Crouch out when the lesson had finished and everyone was clearing away their notes.

The class room emptied, and Moody/Crouch sat down in front, his magical eye spinning around the room before finally setting on the three of them. They could see his eye widening when he discovered the knives all three of them had concealed in their robes.

"Nice to see someone prepared," he said pleased and nodded at them. "Those knives could come in handy should you ever lose your wand."

"Thank you sir," said Harry politely and waited for Crouch to continue.

"I want to know, now that we're safe from listening ears, how you are so proficient with that particular curse. I know from experience that it takes quite a lot of strength to fight it," he said in an impressed, albeit gruff voice.

Harry noted that Crouch had failed to mention that it was more strength of mind than raw power, but he couldn't figure out his motives. One thing was clear though: receiving praise from the tough Defense teacher was sure to make any normal fourteen year old swell with pride, eager to show him more and to confide in him.

"It isn't about power Professor," said Hermione coolly. "It is more about strength of mind and character."

"And how come none of your classmates managed to throw it off? Not even the famous Neville Longbottom managed to throw it off!" He stared at them hard, but the trio offered no explanation, just stared evenly back. "I have tried the Imperius curse in five different classes so far. Do you know how many have managed to throw off the curse?" He asked, and still there were no answer.

"Three! Three out of over a hundred students! And all of them were seventh years! Now care to offer an explanation to why you of all people managed to throw it off," he said triumphantly as though he had them cornered. And any normal fourth year would probably feel that way and confess to whatever lie they were hiding – any normal teenager that is.

"It is nothing Professor. There is nothing to it but strength of mind. We know who we are and we are not about to submit to any outside force, no matter of powerful or alluring," said Harry.

Crouch stared at them hard and Harry rather though he stepped over his boundaries; it would be hard to keep up his Moody persona like this.

"But there is something more to it isn't it," he suddenly said and leered at them. Harry was reminded of how Crouch had looked when he proclaimed the Dark Lord's return – not entirely sane but with fanatical devotion. "You are not acting like normal students. You are too aware of your surroundings, you have concealed weapons and you are acting more mature than any of the students in this school. It is more like you are here not to learn but to observe – maybe get a foot inside the system."

Harry resisted the urge to squirm; he hadn't known that their behavior had been noted and examined.

"I wonder what Dumbledore would do if this was brought to his attention," continued Moody as if this was his grand finale of subtle threats.

Contrary to Moody's hopes, the trio wasn't the least concerned about him going to Dumbledore.

"Well, if it is as you say Professor," said Harry, putting emphasis on his title, "then who are we? Some super spies hired by the ministry? Or maybe assassins hired to take out the Boy-who-lived? We could even be working for the Daily Prophet. Who we are is of no concern to you, nor are you likely to find out anytime soon, but know this; our position in this school wont be jeopardized by the likes of you." Harry could feel Ron and Hermione's slightly rebuking looks, but they did not intervene. He nodded at them in a clear order, and they all marched to the door. Just as Harry was about to go through he turned and fixed his gaze upon the fake Moody.

"You might come with as many threats as you want Moody, but rest assured; we know where your loyalties lie, and we know that it isn't Dumbledore you will be reporting to. Stay out of our way," he warned and left.

"You think that was necessary?" asked Hermione worriedly as soon as the door was closed and they had made sure no one was around.

"It wasn't really safe, but what can he do?" retorted Harry and started towards the library. "Nothing, and I won't have a Death Eater act as if he is my superior. I have killed too many to allow for that kind of disrespect," he continued and missed Ron and Hermione glancing at each other. This was Harry's 'I'm the Chosen One and commander of the Army' mood, and when he was like this, nothing in the entire world or beyond could stop him.

"Well, if him being around only makes you careless, then maybe we should get rid of him," said Hermione and continued thoughtfully, "I have been thinking: is it really right of us to keep Moody in that trunk for an entire year?"

"But otherwise Voldemort's resurrection will be hindered or worse yet – changed. If we are to intervene, then we need to know what will happen," said Harry when it was obvious that Ron wouldn't say anything.

"So we sacrifice Mad-eye for the sake of the war. Doesn't that sound a bit like Dumbledore's way – for the greater good?" countered Hermione, knowing that this would make Harry doubt. Harry's hate for the headmaster and everything he stood for went deep, probably deeper than the man's crimes deserved.

"It's not really like that…" said Harry weakly but offered no more explanation.

"Couldn't we just put Crouch under the Imperius?" asked Ron.

"It is a good idea," muttered Harry. "We could crush his mind, put Imperio on him and then release Mad-eye. We could even make sure that he can't alert Voldemort."

Surprisingly it was Hermione who objected despite the fact that the plan would free Mad-eye.

"We need to be careful though. He is experienced with the Imperious. We don't want him to throw it off."

"And what should we do with Mad-eye? Can't have him run away reporting to Dumbledore which he is bound to do. I don't want more people than necessary suspecting us."

"Than maybe you shouldn't go around threatening professors Harry," said Ron in a teasing voice. "And we could always lock him up somewhere."

"I'm sure he would be grateful, swapping one prison for another."

"But we would be better host than Crouch is. You didn't see how Moody looked after a year," countered Harry.

They never noticed Rose and Ginny, who were hidden in the corridor. Safely disguised by the invisibility cloak, they had been on their way to attach invisible strings dipped in glue to the ceiling when they had heard parts of the trio's discussion.

They had only heard the part "And what should we do with Mad-eye" and onwards but it had been mysterious enough to make them forget about their prank-planning and listen in.

When the trio had disappeared out of hearing range, they turned to each other.

"There's definitely something weird about them. They **are** hiding something!" exclaimed Ginny in triumph. This time Rose nodded in agreement and said, "And we will find out; no secrets stay hidden from the Lion's Pride."

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It was late in October when the next event of importance occurred. With a certain basilisk carcass as their goal, the trio sneaked unseen into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom when everyone else was at dinner.

The Chamber of Secrets was a monument of Voldemort's power, and the place was still a regular visitor in Harry's dreams, so the trio had unconsciously postponed their visit there. It was long overdue though, and they couldn't make any more excuses.

Harry stepped up to the broken sink, trying not to alert Myrtle, who was sulking in one of the stalls.

"It's clear," came Ron's voice from the door before he entered the room and magically sealed the door.

Harry nodded absentmindedly, his eyes finding the little carved snake in the sink.

~Open~ he hissed, and the sink obediently opened, revealing the dark hole.

The trio gathered around and gazed down in the slimy pipe.

"So who wants to go first?" asked Ron in a serious voice, all lightness and cheerfulness buried under the hard-gained professionalism.

As an answer, Harry crouched low and swung down into the hole. They saw him disappear with a "swish" like sound before following him themselves.

The slide-like pipe winded and twisted, always continuing downwards and downwards before spitting them out on a carcass-filled floor hundreds and hundreds of meters below the school.

"Déjà vu," muttered Ron and kicked away some of the rat skeletons.

"If you see something move, close your eyes," said Harry unnecessarily, the warning like a strange echo from a distant memory.

They moved quickly down the tunnel like soldiers, their alert senses scanning every dark alcove and tunnel they passed. Harry walked first, the unofficial leader and the first one to retaliate should the situation demand it. Ron flanked him: in this position he could easily defend both Harry and Hermione. Hermione walked last, not because she was the weakest – far from it – but because her spell work was more time consuming.

They had easily slipped into their old roles and, although their bodies were young their experience could still be seen in their movements.

In normal everyday life, this side of them was carefully concealed, but now when there was nothing between them and pain and death, it emerged.

They entered the second door, and Harry hissed at it to open. It did so, and the huge gate swung backwards revealing the infamous Chamber of Secrets. The chamber was lit in an eerie green light that reflected in the water, causing the snake statues and Slytherin's face to seem alive. It was just as Harry remembered it except for one simple but very crucial detail – there was no great basilisk lying dead in the chamber.

Cautiously they spread out in the rectangular room, searching every inch of it before they met up in front of Slytherin's statue.

"You think it's still alive?" asked Ron. "There is no sign of a battle."

Harry put his hand against Slytherins mouth, feeling the cold seeping through his hand. He could feel the thick layer of thousand-year-old enchantments in the stone put there by the founder himself to protect his greatest secrets. Harry couldn't detect the presence of the basilisk for the wards were too strong.

"Don't open it," warned Hermione. "We don't know what's inside."

"I wasn't going to," said Harry and closed his eyes. "Avatara," he said, and a most curious feeling followed. He felt his consciousness shift before dividing into two. The main part of his mind stayed safe in his body while the other smaller part left it, shielded by a cocoon of magic.

Harry opened his eyes and stared as the magic in front of him swirled and took the shape of himself. Only, this copy was transparent and ghostlike in appearance much like how Tom Riddle had appeared in the chamber.

The clone opened his eyes, and Harry was assaulted with an array of sights, smells and sounds coming from the copy, some of them mirroring his own in some kind of double sense. It was an Avatar, an extension of Harry, one who could see and hear in his stead.

It was an old Indian spell, stolen by Voldemort from a Hindi temple and later stolen from him by Harry. It was a difficult spell, but thanks to Harry's many out-of-body experiences, he had easily mastered it.

"You always pick up the most bizarre magics Harry," said Ron and put his hand through the face of the clone. Harry swallowed at the unpleasant feeling that followed.

Not trusting himself to speak now, he nodded and made his avatar slip through the stone wall. It wasn't a foolproof plan, for the avatar believed everything it saw, but for this it would work. On the other side of the wall was a big sloop and lying on its lower base was a massive shape.

Harry quickly ended the spell and the avatar faded, the other senses that had been connected to him disappearing.

"There is something in there," he gasped as Ron steadied him. "Don't know if it's alive though. We have to come back better prepared."

"This changes things," said Hermione as they walked back to Gryffindor's common room. "If the Chamber wasn't opened, what happened to the diary?"

No one answered, but they all recognized the problem this would cause. They were no longer up to two horrocruxes as they had previous though but one. For the first time, they realized that this war that hadn't even started yet might be more difficult to win than they had thought.

They were running out of time.


	14. Down in the chamber

"So can I have a recap please," commanded Mr. Tipple as he leaned back in his seat, his sharp eyes taking in the four unspeakables around the table.

Three of them glanced at each other, silently asking if someone would offer do to the briefing. By some unspoken decision, they simultaneously turned to Croaker, their boss for the mission. Croaker acted as if he hadn't noticed them shuffling the presentation on him and went straight to it.

"We have been following the trail for the last couple of weeks and, I'm unfortunate to say, have been unable to identify what kind of object is involved. In fact we haven't even been able to pinpoint its location."

"So what **have** you found out?" asked Mr. Tipple pointedly in a decidedly unimpressed voice.

"We have been able to connect the signatures to several places," said Davies as he went through his notes. "We have two sources somewhere in Essex and Devon, but the vast area the orbs cover, have made us, again, unable to find them."

"We are suspecting though that they are located in St. Ottary Catchpole and Godric's Hollow. Both have wizarding settlements, and the trail headed there every time before we lost it," inserted Derwent smoothly and continued, "Furthermore we have two cases in London, the first one picked up by an ordinary orb covering all of central London. The second one was a supplementary orb covering Diagon Alley."

"After that is it exclusively wizarding sites being visited: Hogsmeade, the World Cup, and Platform 9 ¾," finished Davies after having double-checked his notes.

"Platform 9 ¾ you say. Was it on September the first by any chance?" asked Mr. Tipple and stroked his moustache thoughtfully.

"Yes," answered Derwent immediately, already knowing in which direction the head over the Department of Mysteries was thinking. "We don't have any orbs on the Hogwarts express but we do have one in Hogwarts and Hogsmeade."

"Except that the orb on Hogwarts won't be able to pick up the subtle trail – too much magical interference. I doubt any of our equipment will be much of a help here," said Davies.

"I assume you have investigated the possibility that these are sentient beings?"

"More than that, I think that there might be an ordinary wizard or witch who is carrying this foreign magic around; the movements make no sense unless it was a wizard. We believe that whoever it is, they have now taken up residence at Hogwarts, presumably for a year, even though we don't know if it is a student or a teacher."

"We need to get to Hogwarts and make some on-the-spot investigation," mused Mr. Tipple out loud.

"Dumbledore won't like having Unspeakables running around in Hogwarts; he hates ministry interference in his school," reminded Croaker. "He will never allow us in."

"Dumbledore can be persuaded if we go through the right channels. Croaker, go up and inform the minister of our discoveries and ask for his permission to send a delegation to Hogwarts. Lay it on thick that we suspect it's concerning hostile, dangerous foreign energies. That should be enough to ensure Crouch's support."

"Except for the fact he will involve the aurors," frowned Croaker.

"I trust you can find some way to convince him not to. We need discretion in this mission, not some curse-first-ask-later aurors," said Mr Tipple in a clipped voice.

"And what should we others do?" asked Aldwick.

"You are going to prepare to leave for Hogwarts. I'm sure you can find a way to put your skills to use," ordered Croaker, dismissively as he strode out through the room.

"Seems like we'll be heading towards the storage room, but I'm sure we have no orbs or pendants which will work in Hogwarts. It's gonna be a nightmare!" Davies groaned and slowly got up from his chair, grabbing his by now cold coffee as he did.

The last one to get up was Derwent, who did so with a slightly lost expression. He had nothing to prepare.

"Derwent!" called Mr. Tipple, and Derwent turned around.

"Yes sir?"

"Do you know what you will do now?"

Derwent's eyes widened slightly and he opened his mouth then closed it again. "No sir," he said after an awkward silence.

"Don't worry, I'm not sending you back to Rookwood. We still have some use for you. While Davies and Aldwick look for the answer the magical way, I want you to take the logical way. Check everyone in Hogwarts, find some connection between all these locations and trails, and find the ones emitting this magic."

Mr. Tipple got up and stared solemnly at his younger employee. "I have a feeling the answer is right in front of our eyes. " He nodded once to Derwent and disappeared into his office while muttering to himself. "But we will find out, sooner or later."

Derwent stared after him before shaking his head after trying and failing to make any sense out of his boss's unhinged persona. "I need some Hogwarts records," he murmured and left for the ministry's archive and storages floor.

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The four stared at the cards with the outmost concentration. Slowly, Neville turned up one card. His eyes darted over all the other cards and went for one in front of Rose when –

BANG!

The card exploded, causing a chain reaction as every single card in the deck exploded. The rest of the Gryffindors looked for the cause of the ruckus, but when they saw who it was, they just went back to their business.

"Gaah! This is the second time this has happened!" groaned Rose and turned accusingly to Matthew. "And it happens every time we play with** your **deck!"

"Not my fault! The others I got from dad, but this one I bought from Gambol and Japes last week," he cried defensively.

"You don't think your dad could have tampered with it?" asked Ginny suspiciously and shoved the exploded cards away.

"Come on, he is not that dedicated; besides he has too much work at the moment."

"Have you found out what the secret was he didn't want to tell us?" asked Neville as he dug in his bag for another deck of cards.

Matthew scowled. "No, he still won't tell me. First I thought it was the Triwizard tournament, but now he is hinting there was something else – drives me crazy is what it does!"

Neville finally found a card deck and started to shuffle it.

"We just have to get him back. Maybe we can ask Tonks to trick him…" said Rose, but without conviction – it never really worked to prank parents. The risk of grounding was too big.

In the same moment, Harry, Ron and Hermione entered unnoticed through the portrait hole. Hermione gestured towards the Lion's Pride and the three of them quickly crossed the common room.

Harry waved his wand and the deck in Neville's hand flew to Harry's hand. He casually pocketed his wand and, uninvited, sat down in their midst. He teasingly held the deck out of their reach and said in a serious voice, "I have some questions for you."

"Get lost Harry," snapped Rose and tried to snatch the deck back. "Can't you see we are busy? Why don't you ask Granger to help you instead," she continued, thinking that he needed help with homework.

"It's not about homework," said Hermione, who had followed Harry and sat down on his left side. Ron took his right.

"We want to know everything you know about the Chamber of Secrets," said Ron, ever the blunt one.

That got their attention, and suddenly they looked a lot less carefree. There was protectiveness in their stance, Harry realized, present only in those who have seen the darkness in the world and strive to protect others from it. They glanced guardedly at each other as if trying to decide upon what to say and what to keep secret.

"Why are you asking us about it? You know we are not allowed to speak about it. The ministry deemed it classified information," said Neville shortly and eyed them suspiciously.

"Tell us what you can," demanded Harry. When he saw them hesitate, he went on unconcernedly, "We know most of it anyway. We just want to hear it in your words."

"Rumors," stated Neville dismissively, but the trio could tell that he was nervous – all four of them were, and they kept glancing worriedly at Ginny. Honestly, even if the trio hadn't known beforehand who had opened the chamber, they could have guessed just by studying their behavior.

"We have our ways. For example we know who opened the chamber," said Ron and stared at Ginny.

Ginny paled and looked down to the floor,

"She is your sister. Show some compassion," hissed Rose as she took Ginny's hand and squeezed it comfortingly. Neville and Matthew were glaring hard at the trio as if their glares alone would make them back down. The trio was unaffected by their stares and continued to look at them, silently demanding an answer.

"So what! You can have heard that from your parents," said Matthew aggressively, being the first to break the silent battle of wills.

"We want to know what happened to the monster and the diary," said Hermione.

Ginny took a shaking breath that was heard by all, but her eyes stayed determinedly locked on the floor. For the first time, Harry felt a sliver of compassion for the upset girl in front of him, and he eased up his expression slightly. She was just a little girl – victim to the forays of a Dark Lord. Her pain was as real as the friends surrounding her protectively.

Even if Harry allowed himself to relax slightly, Ron sported a stony face, eyes clouded by dark emotions. Harry knew that Ron would never allow himself to feel compassion for any Weasley in this dimension. _Ron will never let anyone replace the family he has lost, _Harry thought sadly.

"We took care of it. That's the only thing you need to know," said Neville shortly.

"You took care of it?" said Harry skeptical. "So you killed Slytherin's monster?"

"Why do you wanna know? It's none of your business!" said Matthew hotly.

"We have a reason for it," said Harry evasively and continued, "So I take it you never found the chamber or killed the monster."

"No of course not. We didn't have to; we just stopped the heir of Slytherin from attacking any students," said Rose, still holding Ginny's hand.

"Did you ever find out who the heir was?" asked Hermione.

"Tom Riddle," said Neville in a solemn voice.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle, also an anagram for I am Lord Voldemort," said Harry and ignored their surprised gasp.

"How did you know that?" asked Neville.

"We know a lot, but we still want to know what happened to the diary that possessed Ginny," said Harry, gambling the last part.

Their eyes widened when Harry revealed this information before turning to Ginny, who looked down to the floor.

"Who wants to tell?" asked Matthew uneasily and looked at his friends.

"It happened in Ginny's first year," started Rose hesitantly after Ginny had given her a pleading look and a nod. "In the beginning everything was great. Sure we noticed that Ginny seemed a bit closed off sometimes, but we thought it was because of homesickness. It got worse around Halloween, and then the cat got petrified. It was then we started noticing all the times she disappeared."

By now Ginny had tears running down her cheeks, she sniffed and wiped them off.

Neville continued the tale. "When Collin was petrified, we confronted Ginny, and she told us that she couldn't remember a thing. She showed us a diary she had been writing in, and we took it to Professor Dumbledore."

"You never found the entrance to the Chamber?" asked Ron.

"No, I never regained my memory from when I was possessed," said Ginny timidly.

"So they never found the Chamber or what kind of monster lived inside it," mused Harry out loud and the Lion's Pride nodded. "What happened to the diary?"

"The ministry said it was full of dark magic, so they confiscated it," said Rose. That got the attention of the trio.

"They never destroyed it! What about Dumbledore? Did he get a chance to examine it?"

"No I don't think so. When we went to his office, aurors were already there. After we told them what had happened and Dumbledore said that Tom Riddle was Voldemort, the aurors left with the diary," explained Neville.

_So Dumbledore probably has no idea about the Horcruxes,_ thought Harry.

"Do you know where in the ministry they sent the diary or if they have destroyed it?" asked Hermione.

"No. Why? Is it important?" asked Matthew.

"Yeah it's important, they shouldn't have any of Voldemort's stuff lying around," said Ron, causing the Lion's Pride to stare at him. "What?" he asked genuinely confused.

"You said his name!" said Ginny disbelievingly.

"So what!" said Ron. "Fear of a name only increases the fear of the thing itself," answered Ron, causing Harry to punch him in his shoulder.

"That's Dumbledore's catchphrase," he grumbled and leaned closer, whispering in his ear so the others couldn't hear. "If you are going to be my groupie, you have to use my catchphrases."

"Which is?"

"Half-blood bastards like him don't deserve anything except a slow painful death."

Hermione looked at them questionly while most members of the Lion's Pride looked on suspiciously.

"I never heard you say His name before," said Rose.

"We're not in the habit of saying his name," said Hermione slowly before finishing flippantly. "If we need to refer to that creep we usually say Snakeface."

"Why Snakeface?" asked Rose with some kind of morbid fascination, and Hermione realized that they had never seen how Voldemort looked after his resurrection. Maybe Neville had in his first year, but the others hadn't. _Here we go again: assuming things we can't know for sure really happened._

"Because it gives some satisfaction. Come on boys, we have certain plans to make," she said and bounced away from the sofa, dragging the two boys with her and disappeared up in the boys' dorm.

"Snakeface," said Rose disbelievingly. To her left, Matthew slapped his forehead.

"It's brilliant. Can't believe we didn't think of that."

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"He is ordering us around way too much!" grumbled Ron that same afternoon when he and Hermione walked the path down to the Forbidden forest. They had been, in lack of a better word, ordered to go down to Hagrid and acquire a rooster.

"And the funny thing is Harry doesn't even realize it. He just sees what needs to be done and reacts, delegating the work. It comes naturally to him," said Hermione.

"It wasn't the response I wanted when I started complaining," said Ron in a self-suffering voice.

"Lighten up will you," said Hermione cheerfully and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek before continuing down the path.

Ron couldn't help but notice how she was almost skipping, and she looked close to start humming. He couldn't detect any traces of a mask or faking. It seemed to be genuine cheerfulness, which befuddled him. Sure they had their good times, moments when they would laugh and joke, but the undercurrent of their dark thoughts would always weigh them down, merely concealed. To see Hermione genuinely happy was a foreign, bizarre feeling indeed.

"You are acting very odd," said Ron curiously to which she answered with a laugh. "I'm serious, why are you acting so…girly all of a sudden," he persisted.

"I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes."

"No."

"See! You are bickering like some second year, you actually care about your appearance, you're doing homework, you are smiling all the time, you tease and now you are actually **skipping**!"

Hermione stopped skipping and returned to walking at Ron's side, her good spirit still there though and Ron was happy for it. He would have kicked himself if he had ruined her mood.

"I hadn't realized I had changed that much," she said slowly. "I guess I have just let everything go and embraced this chance of a second life. I have realized how precious life is and we **will** be happy. Ghosts of the past won't ruin it for me."

"But how can you do it though? What do you do when the nightmares come, when someone reminds you of their death, when the emptiness becomes too much?" said Ron despairingly as he couldn't help but let his dark emotions out. "How can you still feel happiness!"

"I haven't forgotten, merely moved on. Ron, we are building a new life here, you and me and Harry. We are in a new world, in a new time line. There is no reason for old ghosts to haunt us here," she said in a serious voice as she took his hand.

Ron wanted to say something vicious back – h_ow dare she speak like that about our memories – _but in the last second he managed to hold his words back. They had stopped now and were just staring at each other. Both could feel the tension wash over them.

_This is what those ghosts and thoughts do to us,_ though Hermione fiercely as she watched Ron struggle with his words.

"It's hard," said Ron finally. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief that this wouldn't become another argument. She was tired of thinking of the war. She wasn't running away from it, not at all. But she would be truly happy if they really could start a new life here. Unfortunately she also knew it wouldn't be possible until Ron and Harry were ready too.

"We need closure," said Hermione gently. It had only been a caring word meant to comfort, but the word stuck in her head. That's what they needed, a chance to really remember and then let go. _Closure._

Ron seemed oblivious of her thoughts as he made an attempt to get back the carefree mood. "You seem very young. The only thing missing now is the conspiratorial talk about boyfriends and you are a teenager," said Ron.

"You want me to gossip about other boys?" said Hermione teasingly.

Ron threw her a thoughtful look and answered seriously. "Why not? As long as you stay away from handsome Quidditch players."

"Like you and Harry."

"…handsome Quidditch players from Durmstrang," clarified Ron with an easy smile.

"Of course!"

They arrived to Hagrid's just in time to see the friendly half-giant disappearing around the corner.

"Hi Hagrid!" shouted Hermione and started running to catch up to him.

He turned around with a bewildered expression before his face broke up in a smile.

"Hi Hermione, I thought you'd be up in the castle a day like this," he said and waved towards the rumbling rain clouds above their heads.

"We thought we would go and see you," answered Hermione with a smile, causing Hagrid's face to light up. "We were a bit curious to see how the Golden Snidgets are doing; we heard from Luna that they had gotten a cold."

"Oh, it aint notting to worry 'bout, just some warm milk and honey. I'm about to see them now. Would you like to come?"

"We would love to!" said Ron enthusiastically and grabbed Hermione's hand as they trekked through the muddy ground.

Behind Hagrid's shack, just at the edge of the forbidden forest, were several cages, shacks and paddocks. The seven Golden Snidgets residing in Hogwarts were living in a small house similar to a hen pen.

_How on earth does Hagrid manage to enter that small hut_, thought Ron, but before he had voiced the question out loud Hagrid opened the roof to the hut.

Ron and Hermione peeked inside, curious to see the rare bird. The sight wasn't that impressive. The seven Golden Snidgets Hagrid was caring for were indeed sick. Their feathers were matted and their eyes were glazed over.

"Are you sure they're only having a cold," asked Ron as he leaned forward and peeked at the unhappy birds.

"Aye, give em ten drops from this and they'll be flying around again," said Hagrid and handed both of them a small ruby red bottle. Ron opened the cap and sniffed it curiously. It smelled of milk and honey and something else he couldn't decide.

Carefully Ron scooped up one Snidget in his hand and gently pried its beak opened. Slowly, he counted the ten drops and let the bird escape to its peg. It gave off a dejected chirp as it almost lost its balance.

He glanced at Hagrid and Hermione, who was also feeding medicine to the sick birds. Ron felt himself cheer up slightly as he watched big clumsy Hagrid gently bottle-feed the small bird. It made him wish that he could have back the relationship they had had with their Hagrid.

"So, let's leave them to it then," said Hagrid and closed the roof again. Ron noticed that the dark clouds had finally done what they had been threatening to do all morning – the rain was pouring down. "Oh blimey, good thinking there Hermione," said Hagrid indicating the water-repelling charm Hermione had cast over their heads. "Do you wanna come in for some tea and cookies?" asked Hagrid as they were going back.

"Yes please," said Hermione happily and quickly followed Hagrid indoors, canceling the water-repelling charm as she did.

Hagrid's home looked just like it had last time around, and Ron quickly seated himself in his favorite chair. Hermione hurried up to the crackling fire and held out her hands towards the flame with a content sigh.

"Thank Merlin," she breathed. "I was freezing to the bones. October is a horrid time of the year. The cold simply gets everywhere."

"If Hermione were to decide, then she would probably never stick her nose outside the door between October and April," grinned Ron and accepted a rock cookie from Hagrid.

"And still I see you three out running every morning since you came back. I've never seen any students so dedicated as you," commented Hagrid.

"Oh well that's Harry and Ron for you. They are egging each other on, and I just get dragged along," said Hermione with a laugh.

"Now that you mention it, where is Harry? It's not often I see the three of you apart from each other."

"Harry was whisked away by Luna. You know Luna Lovegood; they are combing the seventh floor gallery for some kind of… creature. According to Luna it is a bumblebee-looking thing that once it touches you will follow you around and repeat everything you say," said Hermione.

"Never heard about an animal like that," said Hagrid with a frown.

"I'm not surprised," said Ron lazily, the warmth from the fire and tea making him sleepy. "Luna is known for believing in the oddest things. But if it exists Harry will find it. He has a tendency to think…how does that muggle expression go again Hermione?"

"Outside the box," replied Hermione as she dipped a rock cookie in her tea in an attempt to make it more edible.

"Yeah…it was quite funny really. Harry wanted to use it on someone as a prank. He couldn't decide whether to do it to Snape or his sister," said Ron with a laugh.

"Or Neville or Matthew or Malfoy. There are many on Harry's black list so to say. I think he even wanted to prank Dumbledore just to prove he can," said Hermione dryly.

Hagrid chuckled at them before he seemed to recall that he now was a teacher. "Now see here, there will be no pranking of the teachers," he said and attempted to stare sternly at them. The attempt failed.

Ron and Hermione nodded obediently.

"We'll tell that to Harry when we see him. I don't think they will have caught anything though; I have never heard of a Whizzing Blabbermouth before," said Hermione, the last part rather skeptical.

"That's probably why she invited Harry and not you," said Ron nonchalantly and emptied his cup. "We better head back now. We need to find Harry before dinner," said Ron and stood up, quickly followed by Hermione.

"See you later Hagrid."

"Thanks for the tea," said Ron and held up his arm in thanks.

"Come back anytime," smiled Hagrid and closed the door. The moment Hagrid closed the door, leaving them in the rapidly darkening evening. The heavy rain had finally stopped but it was still drizzling and the air was damp. Ron turned around and headed back to the paddocks.

"Well, this took a little longer time than we had thought," he said good-naturedly.

"Asch, it's not like we have some deadline to follow," said Hermione as she hurried after him, slipping in the wet mud. Ron caught her just before she made contact with the soggy brownness that was the ground. "Thanks," she said and steadied herself. Ron nodded and continued, albeit a bit slower than before.

"I can just imagine what Harry will say when we come back. Probably something like, 'Ah, it took you four hours to procure one rooster from Hagrid. I take it you were met with some resistance?' and then he will raise that damn eyebrow and look so smug," grumbled Ron.

"Prat," laughed Hermione. "You two act so silly sometimes what with your need to top each other."

They arrived to the hen pen, so Ron didn't have to answer, which he was quite grateful for, for he had no idea how to answer her without sounding immature.

He opened the hen pen and, after some rummaging, got hold of a rooster. The rooster struggled and kept flapping its wings in Ron's face. He looked quite disheveled when Hermione finally stunned the bird.

"They are more vicious than they look," she said lazily and put her wand back in its holster.

"Very amusing," said Ron as he spat out some feathers from his mouth. Hermione's self-satisfied smirk remained. She opened her mouth to say something, probably about the feathers in Ron's hair, when Ron pushed the bird in her arms.

"I captured it, you carry it," he said and stalked up to the castle.

"Your temper is worse than a hippogriff's," Hermione called after him, but nonetheless made the rooster float up in the air and follow her as she ran to catch up with Ron's long-legged stride.

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"Ready?" asked Harry in a low voice. His posture was tense and ready as they stood in front of Slytherin's statue. _Strange really. A few months ago this would have been nothing, but now I'm getting worried over a bagatelle,_ he mused to himself. _I think we have gone soft._

Ron nodded determinedly, and Hermione put the cage with the rooster in it on the floor.

He felt jolts of electricity course through his body, both in fear and excitement for the upcoming battle as he turned towards the statue and hissed words he had thought would never leave his mouth.

~Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four~

There was a low grinding sound as the mouth of the statue opened and something big started moving within. Harry, Ron and Hermione kept their eyes averted as the large snake slithered out and landed heavily on the floor.

They tensed, ready to leap out of the way and release the rooster, but nothing happened. His senses still on high alert, Harry chanced a look towards the basilisk, not going so far as to look at its face. It was right in front of them, its head swaying lazily from side to side at least fifteen feet above their heads. It seemed to study them.

Then it opened its mouth and spoke.

All Ron and Hermione could hear was an ominous hissing noise, and they glanced uneasily at Harry, trying to gauge whether or not they should dive for cover. It sounded, dare they say it, evil.

~Who dares summon me, guardian of Slytherin's chamber~ Harry who could actually hear what the basilisk said, found himself reevaluate the great snake. In his second year, he had just killed the big evil snake. Not once had he stopped to think that the snake might have the ability of intelligent speech. In his time he had only heard it say thing like 'tear, rip and blood.'

There was something sinister and feral in this creature, but there was also intelligence and age. This was an ancient being who had met Salazar Slytherin.

He could feel Ron and Hermione's eyes on him, and without turning his attention away from the basilisk, made a sign to them to wait.

~We are simple people who seek to protect Hogwarts~ hissed Harry diplomatically.

~Then you have my loyalty. Anyone who wishes to protect my master's school is a friend~ He could sense the basilisk lower its body, and he thought he could feel its breath in his face. ~My eyes are closed Wizard, you may look up~

Taking a deep breath and sending all safety to the wind, he raised his head and looked into two wide open jaws and venom dripping fangs – two feet away from his face. Harry swallowed and took a quick step backwards. He looked towards the basilisks eyes and found that they were indeed closed.

~Do you have a name?~ he asked, rather meekly.

~My master gave me the name Saba, a name I wear with pride~ was the answer, and Harry was startled that the bloodthirsty basilisk of his nightmares were, in fact, a girl. _Not that that makes it less dangerous_, thought Harry and glanced to Hermione, who kept sending him impatient glances.

~I'm Harry Potter, and these are my companions Ron Weasley…and Hermione Granger. We are honored to make your acquaintance~

~So what do you wish me to do Wizard? Are the lowlives intruding? Any mudbloods to get rid of? I'll rip and tear and devour their dirty blood…~

~Nor really. We would rather you not attack the muggleborns~

~Why not?~ was the confused reply.

~The times have changed, great guardian. The muggleborns are no longer a threat to us,~ tried Harry a bit nervously as the basilisk had become very still as it listened to him. ~Muggles, muggleborns, halfbloods and purebloods live in harmony these days~ _Well sort of. ~_There is no need for killing…~

~You are wrong~ hissed the basilisk with deadly conviction. ~They are the filth of this world, a blight that will be removed before they destroy us. I bite them, tear them and petrify them, none escape~ she hissed fiercely before she seemed to have a change of mood. ~I haven't had anyone to eat in so long… there was one, with my last master, but I never got around eating the girl~ she stated morosely. ~I so long for the feeling of fresh flesh again~ she said and stared sadly towards the chamber's opening, then she suddenly turned to Harry again. ~You can let me out! Let me hunt all the mudbloods. I'll leave no one alive. I'll chase them like rats!~ she hissed excitedly and moved closer to Harry, who took another quick step back.

~No!~ he said firmly and gripped his wand tighter _She's insane! A thousand years in a cave hasn't been kind to her head._

~You are not true to my master's beliefs. He would never let the dirty blood sully his school~ she hissed agitatedly.

~There won't be any killing of the muggleborns. Either you accept that and we can let you out in a nice forest somewhere or you don't and we'll kill you~ threatened Harry and raised his wand, quickly followed by Ron and Hermione, who had at least taken note of the increasingly agitated voices.

~No! Betrayer of your blood!~ she spat and lunged at Harry, who quickly dived to the side.

"Hermione! Rooster!" he screamed as he danced away from the big snake, his eyes averted to the floor.

"Finally!" muttered Hermione and let the rooster out. An explosion followed by a pained hissing noise told her that Ron had joined the fray. "Imperio!" she said and pointed her wand at the rooster, which straightened out and walked towards the fighting basilisk. "And now crow," she muttered silently and watched as the rooster opened its beak.

The screeching of a rooster echoed chaotically in the large chamber, and an already confusing scene turned even more so when the basilisk fell thrashing to the floor hissing in pain. It locked eyes with the rooster, who toppled over dead, but it was too late.

The trio stood silent as the basilisk gave one more violent jerk before inevitably falling still.

"So that's it," said Ron and let out a loud breath. "I hadn't thought it would be so chaotic," he commented dryly.

"It's all Harry's fault. What were you thinking! Just start hissing to a fifty feet long snake! We had no idea what was going on and then suddenly we are fighting. Is it so difficult to keep to the plan?" grumbled Hermione and pulled some of Harry's hair.

"The plan wasn't that refined to start with and when she slithered out and asked, very eloquently, what we were doing there I had to answer."

"She?" repeated Ron bemusedly.

"She, and crushing on Slytherin too, considering how she kept going on and on about how to cleanse the world of mudbloods like her dear master wanted."

"So anything else of interest?" asked Hermione rather uninterested, as if they were talking about the weather.

"No, she was very hungry though, and you can never guess what was on top of her menu."

"Muggleborns," guessed Hermione and, seeing Harry's nod, continued, "Good, I thought I would feel bad for killing her…it, but I think my sympathy just dwindled down to zero," she said viciously and kicked the snake.

"Okay, let's get started shall we?" asked Ron and held up some glass vials. "We have valuable venom to collect." He carefully went up to the mouth of the basilisk and put the vial under the dripping fangs.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

"Isn't there a quicker way of doing this?" he asked impatiently as he watched the venom slowly drip into the vial.

"We would need to find and puncture the venom sacks," said Hermione and came up behind him, staring into the mouth. "There they are. See those bulging sacks?"

"Here let me," offered Harry and drew one of his knives. Mindful of the many fangs, he leaned inside the mouth to reach the venom sacks.

"Imagine if it were to wake up now Harry. It would just snap its jaw around you and have you as an afternoon snack."

"Shut up!" grumbled Harry as he slit the venom sacks open. Ron quickly gave him the glass vials, which were quickly filled. He repeated the process with the other venom sack.

He felt slightly relieved when he came out from the mouth and stepped away from the fangs.

He fingered his knife in his hand. It had a faint layer of a green slime on it that was quickly drying and turning transparent. He made a move to sheet it when Hermione stopped his hand.

"That knife is coated in basilisk venom Harry," she warned.

Harry smirked as the knife disappeared somewhere in his clothes. "I know, can't wait to use it!" His smile turned sinister, and Ron and Hermione found it best to ignore his slightly eager look at the prospect of using the knife on someone.

Meanwhile Harry snapped out from whatever plotting he had been doing, and he curiously looked around the chamber. "So what do you say? Shall we do some exploring while we're here and have no crazy basilisk roaming around?"

"Not much to see," complained Ron. "Riddle must have searched the entire place when he was down here."

"But I bet he didn't went in there;" said Harry and pointed towards the opening from where the basilisk had emerged.

"It's probably slimy," sighed Hermione but followed the boys as they sprinted over to the hole.

"Come on Mione, you don't have to be the responsible adult **all** the time," shouted Ron teasingly.

"Well, someone has to be, right?" she answered when she caught up with them, her arms folded across her chest.

"Whatever you say love. So with you being the caring and responsible adult, will you go first, just to make sure there is nothing dangerous down there?" smirked Harry.

"Something like a giant pile of poo or rotten carcasses to land in," said Ron and took hold of her arms and gently guided her towards the hole.

"Fine, fine, I'll go first," said Hermione in a defeated voice before gripping Ron tighter and moving towards the hole, "but I will drag you with me!" And with that she threw both of them down the hole.

They slid down a small slope before landing on a sandy floor. For a moment all thoughts of playing around left their minds as they scanned the place for any threats.

_Harry probably knows that there is nothing down here, but you can never be sure,_ thought Hermione as she lit her wand. The cold light from her wand revealed a wide but low cave.

"Well, this was interesting," drawled Ron, who had also lit his wand.

Hermione cancelled her spell in favor for a detection charm that came up negative. "Harry, it's safe for you to come down now," she called mockingly up the hole.

A second later Harry came swooshing down and gracefully leaped to his feet, curiously examining the cave.

"I don't see what's so fascinating about this place," grumbled Hermione as they followed Harry as he explored every inch of the cave.

"Do you need a cheering charm or what?" retorted Harry. He had reached the furthest part of the cave and found a snake carving on the wall. It was the only decoration he had seen so far in the cave. He tilted his head as he considered the carving.

~Open~ he hissed, causing Ron and Hermione to swirl around with their wands drawn. He waited eagerly for something to happen but was disappointed – the wall remained a wall.

"You think it is a tunnel here?" asked Hermione.

"I thought so…hm, how about this ~Salazar the greatest of the Hogwarts four~." Nothing happened.

"It's impossible to guess the right password," stated Ron after Harry had gone through a long list of passwords, ranging from "The bane of mudbloods" to "Gryffindor sucks." He was starting to get a bit impatient at the last one.

"After all, I very much doubt that Salazar Slytherin would have chosen candy or something like that as password. You'll never get the right one. You're not even sure there is a tunnel here."

"That would be great," snorted Hermione. "Harry standing and shouting passwords to a stone wall."

Harry reluctantly left the stone wall and followed them as they started towards the opening. He couldn't help the feeling that there was something else to find in this cave. After all, if his suspicions were correct, then no one had stepped inside here since the time of Salazar Slytherin.

But the cave didn't seem to hold any secrets; it was only an old dirty cave.

"What do you think that is?" asked Ron suddenly, and Harry looked to where he pointed. It was a pile of what looked like old-shedded skin. They went closer, and Hermione rummaged around in the pile with a look of someone who doesn't expect anything.

So Hermione was quite surprised when she unearthed three eggs. Three green and blue speckled eggs the size of an ostrich egg at the least.

"Wow," said Ron simply as they stared at the eggs. Nothing more could be said really.

"It has to be basilisk eggs," murmured Hermione, astonished.

"Really Sherlock, how did you figure that out," deadpanned Ron.

Hermione opened her mouth to snap at Ron, but Harry moving up to the eggs stopped her.

Harry put his hand on one of the eggs. It wasn't as cold as he thought it would be. _The mother basilisk must have kept them warm_, he realized as he lifted one of the eggs in his hand.

"It's heavy," he commented as he looked at the egg closely.

"You think it's still…you know…alive?" asked Hermione as she too took hold of an egg. "It's still warm," she said in surprise.

"She must have been keeping them warm," said Harry, repeating his earlier thoughts.

Ron lifted an eyebrow at his switch from "it" to "she" but just sorted it as one of Harry's more peculiar traits. "But it can't have attempted to get them to hatch. I mean, don't you need a toad or something for that?"

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe she just wanted to keep them alive till she could find a toad. There can't be many of those down here."

Harry suddenly felt bad for the basilisk, trapped deep underground, unable to provide for her children. How long had she had them anyway? Had the basilisk he had killed in his time had eggs to care for, to try to hatch? He decided not to brood on that, for despite the terror the basilisk had caused in his second year, he couldn't help to pity the creature.

_There is no good or evil – only power and those to weak to seek it. How true those words are. Those who don't have power will always be victims, facing imprisonment, torture, death, dependence and servitude in exchange for protection._ _Either you are the hunter or the prey._

He stared down at the egg and found himself wanting to hatch them, wanting to give life back in exchange for the one he had taken.

"Hagrid would just love one of these," snorted Ron. "I imagine it would beat both Aragog and Norbert."

"Ron! You are absolutely brilliant – we can ask Hagrid how to make them hatch!" said Harry excitedly.

The responses from his two companions were a little bit different but had the same amount of incredibility in them.

"You want to hatch them!" shouted Ron at the same time as Hermione said, "You want to present **Hagrid** with the opportunity to get a basilisk pet!"

"He doesn't have to know that we have the eggs per say," said Harry sheepishly.

"I still haven't got past the part where you actually want to breed basilisks. I thought we agreed that they are evil killing machines," said Ron. When he saw them glancing at each other, he clarified, "Okay, not evil. How about dangerous with very strong killing instincts?" The fact that it was illegal he omitted, it was hardly an argument in this company.

"They are sentient," said Harry slowly. "And intelligent. I see no reason for why we couldn't give them a chance. We killed their mother. The least we could do is to save them."

Hermione and Ron glanced uneasily at each other and then at the egg in Harry's hand. Finally they looked at Harry, who held a determined expression as he stared back rebelliously at them. The glint in his eyes told them that he wouldn't back down. Hermione sighed and moved forward, gently taking the egg from Harry.

"We'll put a warming charm on them so they survive," she said and put the egg back in the nest. She stood up again and looked at Harry, who looked indecisive. "We'll discuss this later," she said with an air of finality to it.

Finally Harry nodded and, with a last glance at the egg, left the cave.

"We have other things to worry about anyway," said Ron. "We have a giant basilisk to take care of, never mind that we have never done anything like that before," he said with dread.

"Don't worry, I have a book from the library," said Hermione and got a shrunken book from her pocket.

"You found a book on how to harvest a basilisk carcass?" asked Ron incredulously.

"Well, more like a hippogriff, but the principle should be the same," said Hermione with a shaky laugh as they stopped in front of the giant basilisk.

"This is going to be grisly," stated Ron as he rolled up his sleeves.

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"Urgh," said Hermione with disgust as he rubbed her arm. "I stink don't I? It's just, bleugh, like a layer of slime over me. I'm off to the showers now. If I'm gone for a couple of hours – don't worry," she said and hastened up the stairs.

The boys lingered a second, carefully handling the bags with the sealed and shrunken basilisk parts. They were big and difficult to carry, but no one paid any attention to them as they had been charmed to be inconspicuous.

As it turned out, it took most part of Sunday to harvest the basilisk corpse. So when normal students were out enjoying the only glimpse of sun they had had in weeks, the trio had been down in the chamber of Secrets. It had been a heavy and grimy job that all three of them would be happy if they never had to do again.

"What's that awful smell?" commented Lavender as she looked around the common room, her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Wha?,,," muttered her friend distractedly as she continued to read Witch Weakly.

"Can't you smell it? It smells like that potion Rose did last week."

By now the entire common room had started to notice the smell, and looks were thrown in Harry and Ron's direction. Pretty soon they were singled out as the culprits.

"I like your new do, Ron," shouted Fred as he came up to them and made a show of sniffing in the air. "Ahh…I have always loved the smell of puke and entrails." Behind him a group of third year girls made gagging noises and several more laughed at Fred's words.

"Bugger off Fred," growled Ron. After having literary been bathing in basilisk blood and grime the entire day, he wasn't surprised to discover that his temper was shorter than Professor Flitwick. His "stepbrother" didn't realize how very close he was to being turned into a slimy, tentacle-adorned, green slug.

_Then maybe someone else will get the reputation of Slugboy_, he thought and tugged a bit self conscious at the hem of his slightly moist sweatshirt. Honesty, he didn't think he smelled that bad, but he then again he might have gotten immune to the smell after being exposed to it for hours down in the chamber. Which was a feat in itself because the smell that had come when they started to dig the intestines out had almost caused him to black out. _The joy of heightened werewolf senses_.

"Honestly Ron, what have you been doing? Been wrestling in a heap of hippogriff dung?"

Ron's wand arm jerked unconsciously, but Harry grabbed Ron's arm and sniffed it. Luckily for George the action distracted Ron enough for him to quench the urge to show the insolent red head just **who** was in charge.

"The tomato duo is right; we really do smell. That's what you get for harvesting a basilisk corpse."

"You might wanna practice a bit on your lies. If you don't wanna tell the truth then your lies should be a bit better," snorted Fred.

"We would love to teach you, but we got important business to attend to," continued George.

"We have a department head to blackmail," said Fred with a perfectly straight face, and the twins disappeared back to their own table. _If I were fourteen now, I would probably be quite concerned for my brothers' chances of staying out of Azkaban right now,_ thought Ron before Harry said something and his attention went back to his smelly lover.

"I reckon Hermione did the right thing when she disappeared up to her dorm straight away," Harry stated glumly.

"Aye," said Ron as both of them retreated to their dorm.

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After they had showered they went down to eat dinner, they were all ravenous after an entire day in the chamber, so the disappointment was unmistakable when they discovered the doors to the Great Hall still closed.

"What! They haven't opened yet! We are not that early," cried Ron before turning to Hermione, "Are we?"

"They'll probably open up any minute now," answered Hermione patiently.

Ron still looked inconsolable and cutely distracted as he impatiently kept hopping from one foot to the other. Hermione laughed and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Ooooh Hermione," come a girlish squeal from their side. They turned their heads and saw Lavender coming towards them, arm hooked with Gwendolyn and Parvati. They stopped in front of them and ogled Ron and Hermione. "Oh Hermione, you have gotten a boyfriend!" said Lavender in a happy voice.

"It's about time, we never thought anyone would be interested in you," continued Gwendolyn and looked at Hermione with undisguised jealousy.

"Congrats Hermione," said Parvati before Lavender leaned forward and whispered something in her ears, what ever it was had all three girls break out in giggles. "Is…is he a good kisser?" managed Parvati to gasp between the giggles.

Ron stared fascinated at the three girls. To him they could very well be a different specie. They were so…girly. All women he had met during the war had always been very serious, very professional, all with some tragedy in their past to darken their demeanor. To see people acting so freely, with no care in the world, it was surreal.

He could understand why they had frightened him so in fourth year. _Thank Merlin Hermione hadn't been like that. _

Hermione just laughed at their inquiry and smiled teasingly at them, "Now, that would be telling," she joked.

"What would be telling," asked Harry who finally caught up to them from talking to Luna.

"We just congratulated Hermione on her new boyfriend," said Parvati, when she saw Harry's raised eyebrow she covered her mouth and looked frightened at Hermione. "Oh, I'm sorry if it was a secret," she said apologetic to Hermione.

Harry's eyes was sparkling with mirth as he replied merrily, "Oh I think I had an inkling, don't worry."

"So now it's only you left Harry," said Lavender with a giggle before she dragged the other two girls.

"Yeah, what ever shall I do, now that my best friends are an item," he proclaimed in mock despair.

Ron and Hermione didn't reply, but he could see the laughter in their eyes.

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Hermione rested her chin in her hand as the words in front of her started to blur together. It was just after midnight and the common room, to where they had retired to after dinner, was empty. To her it was not that late, but she had been sitting in the same position at the table all day. Her limbs were stiff and her back was killing her. In hindsight she knew she should have taken a break at midday, but she never got around to it, for she always seemed to find a new lead to follow. She regretted it now though as she let her head rest against the book. _I might just as well go to bed, It's no rush to finish this anyway. People are not dying._

Her eyes refocused again as a steaming cup of something was put in front of her with a gentle sound. She looked up with bleary eyes and saw Ron standing at her side.

"I thought you might need some energy," he said in a low voice as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"I need more than energy, I need a rebirth," she stated dully and gestured towards the thick tome she had been reading. "Nothing on the trace in there unless you consider the idea of turning in to a squib a good strategy."

"'Thank you Ron for being so thoughtful,' would have been nice to hear," said Ron gruffly and took a sip from the cup before putting it to Hermione's lips. She took a big sip and sighed contentedly as the warm coffee trickled down to her stomach.

"Thanks Ron," she said gratefully as she closed her eyes and leaned backwards in the uncomfortable chair.

"Your welcomed love. I think it was time for you to stop for the night anyway," said Ron as he started to gently massage her stiff muscles.

"I was going to but I thought I had a lead…it seemed promising…"

"Hush," said Ron with a shake of his head she couldn't see. "You are the worst workaholic I have ever met," he continued affectionately.

"That's…" started Hermione before realizing she didn't know how to continue, so the words trailed off in silence. Ron didn't prod her, just moved to massage her temples. Hermione felt the tension and fatigue ease away, allowing another kind of tiredness settle. She yawned widely.

"Bed time, I think," said Ron with a small laugh and lifted her up bridal style.

"The books," reminded Hermione, not really caring.

"I got them," said Ron, and Hermione looked up to see the books floating in the air after them. They walked up to the boy's dorm, and Ron carefully navigated them through the messy room.

"Smuggling in your girlfriend, eh Ron?" asked Seamus's voice from one of the beds. Ron turned around with Hermione still in his arms. Seamus and Dean were peaking out through the curtains surrounding Dean's bed, muggle cards in their hands. Both of them were wearing teasing grins.

"Do you wanna join us?" asked Dean, motioning to the game of poker they had just started.

"Maybe later," said Ron as he dumped Hermione in his bed.

"Stupid question Dean," said Seamus and rolled his eyes. "Can't you see he is busy with his girlfriend? She's got so much more to offer him than we ever can," he added suggestively.

"We are not a couple!" said Ron indignantly, and Hermione smiled unnoticed at the ambiguous wording.

"Sure you're not," said Dean, laughing to show he wasn't in the least convinced.

Ron just rolled his eyes and motioned for Dean and Seamus to continue with their game. When their attention was diverted Ron climbed into the bed and drew the curtains. Hermione waved her wand in several patterns and the necessary charms and wards were in place.

"Personally I don't mind having them think we are a pair. It's the truth after all," purred Hermione seductively and folded her arms around Ron's neck. Ron smiled happily and leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss. Hermione responded, and Ron felt the unmistakable rush, the feeling, that everything was right.

They broke off for air, and Ron felt his hands working on their own accord, snaking down under her jumper and ghosting over her skin. Both of them shivered at the same time, and Hermione reached up slightly to kiss Ron.

Ron's hands stopped moving under the spell of Hermione's kiss. The only thing he was aware of, the only thing that mattered, was her and his utter dedication to always have her by his side. To always feel her warm body against his, sharing the same passion, and to feel this needed, this loved. The emotions that welled up inside him, just by the thought of her loving him, made him intoxicated with happiness. When she finally moved away, he collapsed with his head on her chest.

"I love you," whispered Hermione gently to the mane of red hair she had in her vision. Ron shifted and lifted his head up so he could look into her eyes.

"I love you too my dearest Hermione," he said unnecessarily for the look in his eyes was enough proof. "I can't wait until we get older, or at least our bodies. It was so long since we went all the way," he said wistfully and laughed when Hermione unexpectedly blushed. "My my, isn't it easy to get under your skin these days!"

"Shut up," said Hermione and got rid of his smirk by kissing him again. "It's not only me we are waiting for! Harry didn't hit puberty until the end of fourth year. At least I'm starting to get breasts!" she said defensively.

Ron wisely said nothing about the small bumps on her chest. Instead he stroked her hair tenderly. "You'll be beautiful; I still remember the stunning appearance you did during the Yule ball."

Hermione laughed softly, a mix between embarrassment and amusement that Ron found adorable. "We were so young then," sighed Hermione wistfully and stared into Ron's world-weary eyes.

"Young and innocent, and I'm grateful for that, even though it made growing up so much harder," said Ron lowly. Hermione, who sensed that his mood was taking a darker turn kissed him again.

"Let's not think about that. We are here and now. Nothing else matters," she whispered, not wanting to ruin the moment.

Ron relaxed and brought back his attention to her. He too was tired of being chained to the past and would rather just focus on the sweet face of Hermione.

"You are right," he said and kissed her, all thoughts of the past forgotten.

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Super thanks to my beta HPLover747 and to everyone who reviews.


	15. Enter the schools

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When Ron woke up the next morning, it wasn't next to Hermione as one might be expecting. Indeed, his heightened senses told him before he even opened his eyes that Hermione had left and the one currently sleeping close to him was Harry.

Waking up a bit more, he stretched and yawned, Harry moved slightly and snuggled closer to him. Ron gently stroked his boyfriend's hair as he studied him, marveling over how beautiful he was.

Harry had been out late last night, exploring the castle with Luna. A small smile played at Ron's lips at that; it sounded too much like he had been out on a play date. _I hope Luna got back to her common room without getting caught, _he thought absentmindedly.

Just then Harry sighed deeply and his eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning," said Ron and gave him a soft kiss on the mouth. Harry replied by yawning widely before stretching.

"Where is Hermione?"

"Not here," answered Ron jokingly. Harry rolled his eyes and sat up in the bed. He had the bed sheets collecting around his waist and sleep-tussled hair. Although a far cry from the handsome man he had been before, he still made Ron's stomach flutter with a million excited butterflies.

"Obviously," said Harry.

"I guess she has hit the books again. She kept going on about a new trail she had found. Undoubtedly we'll hear about it during breakfast."

"We'll have to keep an eye on her," warned Harry. "You know how she is when she starts her research. She obsesses and forgets to both eat and sleep."

"I know, I was the one tucking her in yesterday. You were nowhere to be found," said Ron and continued in a somewhat reproachful voice. "What time did you come back?"

"Around two, mother," said Harry and leaned back towards his pillow. Ron ignored the jibe.

"Were you with Luna all the time? Harry, she has school tomorrow."

"I dropped Luna off at Ravenclaw tower around eleven," defended Harry. "I decided to go and check on the eggs before going to bed," explained Harry and, sensing that Ron didn't want to hear about the basilisk eggs, continued, "What's with the interrogation?"

"Nothing, just curious," said Ron and rolled off the bed and went to search for some clothes.

"Just curious," said Harry skeptically.

"Well, that and paranoid and possessive as hell," said Ron nonchalantly. He had purposefully turned away from Harry and was currently sniffing an old sock he had found. His head jerked back in revulsion and he threw the sock to the floor.

Harry smirked and silently got up from the bed. _Ron doesn't do nonchalant very convincingly_, he thought as he pounced on Ron. Wrapping his arms around Ron's neck he purred in his ear. "Possessive I can understand but why paranoid? You afraid I'll run off with someone?" His voice was slightly teasing and Ron slowly turned around and slid his hands down Harry's chest down to his hips, pulling him closer. Harry's face came to rest against Ron's chest, their bodies so close he could feel Ron's heartbeat. Harry felt himself melt completely in Ron's arms and now it was Ron's turn to smirk.

"Not in the slightest, I'm very possessive after all; I know that you will stay with me. Forever no matter what," said Ron and lifted up Harry's chin. "Right Harry, say that you will stay with us forever," he asked in a loving voice.

"Do you really need words for it?"

Ron smiled and leaned down to plant a kiss on Harry's mouth. "Guess not. Still it could be nice," he said before playfully ruffling the shorter boy's hair. "Now go and brush that bird nest of yours. You look awful."

Noise from the stairs prevented Harry from answering, but he gracefully slipped out from Ron's arms and, realizing they were only in their boxers, swiftly pulled on a sweatshirt. In that moment the door opened and Neville came in through the door.

"Morning," he chirped cheerfully. "Professor Flitwick vanished his classroom, so we have a free period," Neville chirped excitedly and dove straight for his trunk and started to dig out its contents.

"And why don't they just take another classroom?" asked Ron.

"The lesson plans were vanished too, and I think Flitwick will try to get it all back before tonight. Ha, got it!" he said in triumph as he pulled out a tattered notebook from the bottom of the trunk. "So, are you excited for tonight!" he asked as he continued the search, this time for a quill.

"Yeah, very excited," said Harry in a dry voice. "Can't wait for the circus to start. I can't **possibly** imagine what the other schools will be like."

"I guess you'll find out tonight," said Ron as he started to get dressed. "Wonder if they have their own celebrity like we do," Ron joked as he nodded towards Neville, who was already on his way out the door, not paying any attention to the conversation he had started.

Neville stopped when he realized that they were talking about him. A light blush spread over his cheeks before he managed to will it away. With seemingly well-practiced ease he smiled at them and said cockily, "As far as I'm concerned, I **am** their celebrity. I have fans in other countries as well." The lighthearted way he said it showed that he was joking despite his rather stuck up words.

"Yeah sure, don't let Malfoy hear you say that though. He will never let you live it down," warned Harry.

"Or Snape," continued Ron and watched amusedly as Neville looked as if he had swallowed a lemon.

"Greasy git," grumbled Neville more out of habit than anything else; the snarky potions master was a constant source of scorn among the Lion's Pride – coming with derogating names whenever he was mentioned was second nature by now.

Harry and Ron exchanged grins; some things in the world, it seemed, would never change.

"So what are you doing now?" asked Ron as they followed Neville down to the common room.

"Going to meet up with the others. Matt found some kind of pink blob on the third floor, so we are going to investigate."

"Pink blob?" asked Harry suspiciously, even though Ron wondered how anyone could be suspicious of a pink blob.

"Yeah, we think it might be the thing that escaped from Rose's failed potion last week," said Neville excitedly, no doubt already thinking what mayhem they could cause with a wandering pink blob.

Harry looked as if he wanted to caution him to be careful but in the end just decided to leave the resident boy-who-lived and entourage to their fate.

"Have fun," said Ron and started to go over to the corner where Hermione was waiting for them, her foot impatiently tapping the ground. In one hand she had a small sandwich package (causing Harry to suspect they wouldn't be eating breakfast in the Great Hall today) and in the other arm she held a thick tome; its title was obscured by some charm, not that anyone noticed or cared.

Neville looked over to Hermione, took notice of the old looking book in her arm, and the fact that he couldn't make out the title from this distance. His eyes became calculating and suspicious, and he turned back to Harry.

"And what are you going to do?" he inquired casually. Harry and Ron weren't fooled for a second even if they couldn't fathom the reason for the interest.

"We have a prank to plan," said Harry and continued, "We have a map to win the rights to after all." And with that they left Neville and joined up with Hermione.

Hermione flicked her wrist and silently ordered them out through the portrait hole. Neville looked after them thoughtfully for a few seconds before shrugging and started following them.

He followed them as far as to the fourth floor and managed to lose them in the corridor with a giant dragon statue. The corridor split up in two directions, both of them empty and silent. And after having checked three abandoned classrooms, he had to admit he had lost them, which was completely inexplicable because he had followed them closely and he was certain this corridor held no secret passageways. How had they managed to get away?

Still feeling baffled and completely mystified, he turned around and went back to the third floor where he found his friends. They had all gathered in a circle in a corner, and Matthew was currently in the process of poking a jelly looking pink blob with a long stick. The pink blob wobbled and started to crawl away, something that was very disconcerting in itself.

"What took you so long?" asked Ginny, who saw him approach.

"I saw Harry, Ron and Hermione, and I decided to follow them." That caught their attention, and the pink blob was momentarily forgotten. The trio's behavior had been very odd, and in the eyes of the Lion's Pride, very suspicious. Before it had only been the girls who were convinced that it was something off about the trio while the boys remained skeptical. After the trio had been interrogating Ginny on the Chamber of Secrets, it had unanimously been decided that the trio was to be kept under close supervision.

"What do you mean you lost them?" asked Matthew.

"Well, I didn't have the invisibility cloak or the map, so I lost them. They disappeared somewhere on the fourth floor," said Neville, irritated.

"Well I have the map, so we can just check where they are," suggested Rose and dug out the marauders map from her book bag. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," she said and tapped the map with her wand. Immediately the layout of the castle and hundreds of little dots showing the inhabitants appeared, and the four students eagerly studied the map.

"They're not here," said Ginny in an intrigued voice.

"It's impossible, you can't trick the map! They have to be here somewhere," said Rose in a certain voice. But further minutes of searching turned up nothing, and they were forced to admit that the trio was nowhere to be found.

"But where are they?"

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At the same time the trio was busy studying in the Room of Requirement. They had, of course, seen Neville following them. Shaking him off had been easy.

"Merlin forbid that we were ever that obvious when we were fourteen." Harry sighed as he recalled how easily they had made themselves invisible and stood silently in the corridor as Neville unknowingly walked past them. Neville hadn't even heard them when they continued up the stairs.

"Bear with them," said Hermione distractedly from where she sat in a chair, submerged in a book as always.

"Besides we can teach them later on, if it proves necessarily," said Ron, who was leaning against Harry, lazily scribbling in a notebook. After awhile he let it drop to the floor and let his head fall back against Harry's neck. "It's impossible! I've run out of ideas! I can't do it!" he complained in a frustrated voice.

Harry ignored Ron's hair, which was tickling his skin, and leaned forward to snatch up the notebook. Ron let him do it and watched with a disgruntled expression as Harry read it over.

When he was finished Harry, flapped the book in Ron's face and raised an eyebrow. "Pranks?" he asked amused.

"Don't look so smug, we still have to make that prank to win the map. Time's up next week," said Ron.

"And you thought that filling Snape's classroom with Cornish pixies was a good idea?"

"Maybe a bit unrealistic," shrugged Ron with a sheepish smile.

"Filling the entire great hall with stink bombs, putting Bog-fog fungus in the food, putting the Gryffindor crest on the Slytherins' robes…" continued Harry, reading off Ron's list.

"Yeah yeah, I get it, they're rubbish," said Ron in embarrassment and tried to take the book back. Harry easily avoided him and held the notebook out of reach from Ron's long arms.

"No honestly, I really like this one; changing the…" smirked Harry.

"I can strategize and plan battles, but I'm not a prankster," groaned Ron and continued accusingly, "I don't see you making any ideas!"

"That's because I wanted to see what your brain could come up with," smirked Harry but was interrupted when Ron pounced on him. Harry tried to avoid him but only managed to fall off the sofa. Ron followed and crouched over Harry, his elbows pressing down at Harry's sides, forcing him down to the floor.

"Give me the book," growled Ron threateningly, his eyes glinting mischievously.

Harry squirmed but didn't manage to throw Ron off. Instead he held the book high above his head, as far away from Ron's grabbing hand as he could.

"Come and get it," he said teasingly.

Ron growled and planted a quick kiss on Harry's lips before he scrambled up and proceeded to climb over Harry's shoulders and grab the book. He was inches away from the book when Harry suddenly threw it away.

Ron quickly stood up to get it but was forcefully pushed to the ground as Harry rammed him and afterwards picked up the book.

"Send Lockhart autographs to people, pretend to be muggle tourists, have an…" continued Harry to read from the book when he again was outside of Ron's reach.

"Give me that!" shouted Ron and made another lunge at Harry, who laughingly ran away. They chased around for a bit before Harry eventually leaped up in Hermione's lap and cried between laughs, "Sanctuary!"

Ron stopped and huffed before making another grab for the book.

"Save me Mione," begged Harry as he cuddled close to her like a kitten would.

"Oomph, you're heavy," groaned Hermione but took the book from Harry and vanished it. "Argument settled," she said in satisfaction. "Maybe I should have worked in a day nursery instead. I certainly have the experience to deal with immature children," she said smugly.

"Is that supposed to mean something?" said Ron indignantly at the same time as Harry cried, "My hero," and promptly kissed her on the mouth.

Hermione smiled beautifully when he pulled back, and Harry squirmed a bit so he could sit more comfortably in her lap. Ron came and sat down on the armrest.

"I'm not that heavy," said Harry suddenly as if he just now remembered what she had said.

"Please! Even a pixie would be heavy if they suddenly landed in your lap with the speed of a canon bolt," answered Hermione and rolled her eyes. The book she had been reading lay forgotten on the floor. "So Harry, where are your brilliant ideas for The Prank," asked Hermione, showing that she had been listening to their squabbling.

"Well…um I have a few ideas…" said Harry evasively.

Ron looked skeptical. "Really. Well let's hear them then, so I can diss them like you dissed mine."

"Some of your ideas were really good," admitted Harry. "We could build something from them, especially…" Harry stopped mid speech and turned to the window.

The others turned and saw Hermes, Percy's owl, trying to settle on the thin windowsill.

Ron quickly got up and opened the window, letting the owl settle on his arm.

"Did you…" started Hermione but she didn't need to say anymore as Ron nodded.

"Yes, same evening. I didn't think he would reply this fast. Hope he found anything at all," said Ron and frowned as he read the note from Percy. When he was finished, he sighed and gave the piece of parchment to Hermione, who quickly read it.

"He sounds a bit suspicious doesn't he?" she commented when she had finished.

"Well, there is only so much you can have an excuse for. Asking about ministry officials and paperwork is fine – ask about confiscated dark objects and people start wondering."

"So did he find anything?" asked Harry.

"No, he didn't stumble across a diary horcrux in a closet, if that's what you're asking," said Ron.

Harry rolled his eyes and waited patiently.

"Percy asked Arthur about it and apparently all Dark magical objects are stored in a room at the auror office. Only auror captains are allowed to remove things from there and only with written permission from the minister or the head of magical law enforcement."

"That rules out going the legal way," muttered Harry. "We could probably sneak in during Christmas break like how we got the locket," he hypothesized and looked at the others for confirmation.

"Difficult if we still have the trace in place," said Hermione with a frown.

"But not impossible if we plan it right," continued Ron.

"I guess we're on our own with this," said Harry.

"As if that's something new," snorted Hermione and motioned towards the book she had been reading. "We got nothing on the trace. It's a closely guarded secret. Those books from Borgin and Burke were the best, but I still haven't found a way to take it off."

"Relax, it's two months till Christmas. You'll find something," said Ron as he edged down from the armrest and squeezed himself in next to Hermione.

"Well Mister, if I don't; you better have a plan B prepared," retorted Hermione testily.

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"And homework will be to read chapter four. I recommend you make notes because you will have a written test next week," said Professor McGonagall in her strict voice and looked over the class.

"I'm so tired of the homework!" whispered Ron to Harry as he kept an extra eye on McGonagall. She had already called on him three times this week because he never paid attention in class. "I really thought I had finally gotten away from it!"

"You have," said Hermione languidly but with an amused edge. "Or have you forgotten that I do most of your homework anyway."

"Not history of magic or potions," reminded Ron. Hermione had decided that Ron needed practice in those subjects, so she refused to help him with those. It brought out lots of nostalgia for Harry every time he saw Ron pester Hermione about the Potions homework.

"One more thing before you go; Hogwarts will be visited by a team from the Department of Mysteries in the near future. The headmaster wanted to inform the students so that they won't be surprised by Unspeakables in the corridors," called McGonagall when she had finished writing on the black board.

The class looked curious at this, but no one seemed inclined to ask more questions, so Harry raised his hand.

"Yes Mr Potter."

"What kind of research will they be doing Professor?"

"They are going to pinpoint different magical signatures, and Hogwarts is really the ideal place for such tests, as you know the very air is saturated with magic," she said and turned to the rest of the class. "Feel free to ask them questions, but I doubt they will give satisfying answers. The Department of Mysteries has always been a very secretive department." With that she dismissed them.

"What do you think they are doing here?" wondered Harry out loud as they left.

Ron opened his mouth to answer but Rose was quicker, reminding them that they were not alone.

"Maybe they are looking for magic crystals. I've heard that they radiate lots of magic," she said in an excited voice.

"Isn't that a job for aurors?" said Parvati in a dubious voice. "Where did you hear that anyway?"

"My dad said that the Department of Mysteries deals with stuff like magic….weird magic. Right Harry?" she said, turning to Harry for support.

"Well something like that. They are rather secretive about it, but I know that they are storing prophecies there, and researching time and death. That would sort under weird stuff I guess," said Harry thinking out loud. He purposefully neglected to mention the veil.

"They also are the main conspirators behind the Garden Gnome-plot," said a voice from behind, and they turned to see Luna standing there. She had mud streaks on her cheeks, a sign that she had just had Herbology. From the peculiar smell hanging around her, Harry guessed they had been replanting Roseling-Gambit flowers.

"Garden Gnome-plot?" came the skeptical reply from Gwendolyn, the Gryffindor girl the trio couldn't remember from their own time.

"Yes, the Unspeakables capture creatures the magical world refuses to believe exists…"

"Such as Snorkacks," snorted a Ravenclaw girl in Luna's year, causing her comrades to giggle. Luna continued as if there had been no interruption.

"…They study their magic before stealing it and then transforming them into Garden gnomes, which they sell to muggles."

By now everyone who had been listening was laughing, but some, like the Ravenclaws, just looked embarrassed. Su Li, a Ravenclaw they had had Transfiguration with, stepped forward and gripped Luna's arm and tried to drag her away.

"Please Luna, just shut up," she said, half ordering.

Ron stepped forward and firmly released Luna. Placidly she followed Ron but turned and faced the laughing students.

"You can laugh but the truth is that 75 percent of the Department of Mysteries funds are coming from the profit of Garden gnome turned creatures."

"Completely loony!" commented Mandy Brocklehurst.

"How do you know about it if it they are so secretive?" asked Harry as they started down the corridor, ignoring the shouts of, "The Snorkacks told her!"

"A squib called Arthur Spiderwick found them out, and he managed to write it down in a book before Unspeakables silenced him."

"I guess there will be an article in the Quibbler soon about it?" asked Hermione to which Luna nodded.

"Dad is hoping that we will get it out before Christmas. I'll just ask some questions to the Unspeakables to get more material. I'm his unofficial Hogwarts correspondent you know."

"You are!" asked Ron surprised. "Do you get to write your own articles?"

"Not yet. I'm just making small observations, but that's the way to start; every little detail hides the clue to a bigger scene."

"Luna, I hope you will be careful when you deal with the Unspeakables. Don't ask too many uncomfortable questions," warned Harry as he looked at her young face.

Luna just smiled serenely back. "I'll be mindful. See you later." And with that she drifted off to the Ravenclaw table.

The trio remained standing, looking uneasily at each other. Her story had reminded them a little bit too much of other transgressions that had happened during their war. Memories of clinically white rooms, cribs looking like cages, and the crazed look in a child's eyes flashed before their eyes as they sat down at the Gryffindor table.

Magic measured and magic stolen. Children irreversibly damaged in the quest for more power.

_If the same thing is happening here… After all every rumor has a small bit of truth in it. _

"We'll have to investigate," murmured Hermione. "Just in case."

"We don't have time for it. Our schedule is already crammed and things are starting to pick up speed," murmured Ron back.

Hermione glared at him and stabbed at her sausages.

"But if they are doing those… vile…"

"The unspeakables weren't here in our time," murmured Harry, interrupting. He frowned thoughtfully. "I don't like how many things differ… too many unknowns."

"And what do you want to do? Capture an unspeakable and interrogate him? Those guys are creepy. Not even Voldemort dared to play with them too much," said Ron harshly, compelling Hermione to put up a muffliato around them.

"We don't do anything, we let Luna do her investigation…" said Harry finally.

"Harry! We can't let Luna be involved with them," objected Hermione.

"We'll keep an eye on her, help her out a bit; I know a spying charm I'm sure no one has heard about. If it turns out they are doing ma…experiments on them we'll interfere."

"We'll interfere on an Imperio, Crucio and Avada Kedavra level," said Hermione darkly.

"That we will," agreed Harry and grabbed Hermione's hand in a silent promise. The memory of a visit to a hospital emerged; of chaotic magic grapping at him – wild, broken, tainted, unbound magic. Empty eyes staring.

_May the avengers be born with all their unstoppable rage_.

Their discussion was suddenly interrupted by a clinking noise from the head table as Dumbledore stood up and motioned for silence.

"Dear young students," Dumbledore's cheerful voice rang out in the Great Hall, and the students quieted down. "I'm sure you are all excited for tonight. This is after all an extraordinary event that we all here, young and old, will get the chance to experience. It is the first time in over a hundred years that we welcome students from different schools, and I am sure we will all learn from our fellow wizard and witches. Now I could go on and on about how to be on your best behavior, but your teachers have already attempted to drill that message in, I believe. Whether you remember anything of it remains to be seen," said Dumbledore with a chuckle, his eyes twinkling as he looked out over the sea of students.

"Now, because the level of danger involved in the tournament, the Ministry has decided to assign aurors to be stationary at the school for the remainder of the year. So without further ado, let me introduce auror Potter and auror Black," said Dumbledore and motioned towards the doors.

The doors didn't bang open as had been the case with Moody, but nevertheless a storm of thrilled whispers broke out when the two men entered the room. James Potter and Sirius Black were both dressed in blood red auror robes with sturdy dragon hide boots.

Both walked up to the head table in long strides and shook hands with Dumbledore before turning towards the staring student body. Both James and Sirius had easy smiles on their faces, but they still cut a rather intimidating picture.

_It's probably the robes. They practically scream professional dark wizard catcher,_ thought Harry even if he had to admit they looked very professional up there. The experience was rather new to Harry, who had never experienced James in "auror mode".

"They **so **planned that entrance in advance!" snorted Matthew a few seats away, but they could see the pride in his eyes as he stared at his father's flowing auror robes.

"Let's give our two resident aurors a warm welcome," said Dumbledore, and the hall exploded in applause.

James and Sirius smiled and waved to the students before sitting down to Dumbledore's left side. Harry saw how James leaned over and whispered something in Sirius' ear causing Sirius to grin. Dumbledore noticed and seemed to inquire to which both men looked a bit sheepish.

"The potions lesson is cancelled this afternoon," started Hermione, distracting Harry from watching James Potter.

"Maybe we can use the time to help Ron's fire along," replied Harry and scooped some of the now cold mashed potatoes in his mouth. He ignored how Ron sagged in his seat and put his head in his hands. His face was disturbingly similar to the grimace he used to do in their schooldays every time the potions homework loomed over him – dread and reluctance to the point where facing a dragon would be the favorable alternative.

"Can't we have a duel instead?" Ron asked hopefully. Harry and Hermione smirked to each other over Ron's head. "Honestly, I have felt a bit rusty these days," he continued desperately, after correctly reading their silence.

"You just hold on to your delusion if it makes you feel better," said Harry happily and patted Ron on his shoulders at the same time as Hermione said, "Don't even think it. You **will **practice." Her voice was hard as steel. Ron's only response was to groan and sink deeper down on the bench.

"What's going on little Ronniekins. You look troubled," came Fred's cheerful voice from behind them.

Ron muttered something unintelligible, leaving Harry and Hermione to explain.

"Potions homework," said Harry simply as if it explained everything. Sadly, it did.

"Ah," said Fred understandingly. "Fear not brother dearest. Just do as your older, and much smarter, brothers."

Ron glanced up at them questionly. "And what do you do to get away from potions homework?"

"Simple. Just flunk every single one! George and I haven't passed a single potions test during all our time in Hogwarts," said Fred.

George continued proudly, "We are most proud of our achievements; we are planning to graduate without a single pass."

"What does your mum think about such ambitions?" asked Harry.

"Um…well let's say that she was less then happy. Got us a meeting with McGonagall, she did."

"But don't you think you need to learn potions, I mean, for your future and all?" said Hermione and frowned towards them, knowing fully well about their plans for a joke shop, plans that seemed to be well on their way already.

"Aww, Hermione, we do not bother our brains with such boring things as 'future'," said George and made quotation marks with his fingers. "One day, when we are well over forty, we will…"

"Wake up as responsible adults. Hopefully," finished Fred with a grin.

"Unless your mum drags you into adulthood kicking and screaming," muttered Ron.

"Ah, well that's a possibility, but who is to say that we don't learn potions?" winked George as he patted Ron on the shoulder before taking out something from his pocket. "Here's something to cheer you up," he said and gave a bright yellow caramel to Ron who glared at it suspiciously.

"What does it do?"

Both twins held up their hands in surrender. "Why does everyone think that we are out to trick them! We haven't tampered with it. On our honor as family," they said solemnly with their hands on their wands before hurrying towards where Lee Jordan was sitting. "Maybe we should start giving people food that's not tampered with, just to mess with their head," they heard George muse out loud.

"I don't trust their word more than I would trust Snape's ability to forgive," muttered Ron before taking out his wand and starting to check for properties. The result had them all shake their heads in exasperation. "Bastards," said Ron disbelievingly.

"They are simply geniuses. If Snape knew their talent…"

"Oh we'll let him know," said Ron and swiped the caramel and stuffed it in his pocket. "After all, an invention like this has to be put to use."

Harry and Ron grinned towards each other, and even Hermione had to smile at their plotting faces.

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Later on that afternoon had them all in an abandoned classroom to make an attempt to tame Ron's fire element. They had never before made a serious attempt to get it under control, so their feelings were of nervousness – Hermione – and pessimism – Ron.

"Okay Ron let's start," said Hermione as she took one last look at her messily scribbled and woefully incomplete notes. She had spent many hours in the library trying to find information about elementals. Turns out that Hogwarts only had four books in the subject and most of them were only treating the elementals as a myth.

Hermione did **not** like not knowing. She wanted to have all the facts so she could at least make some educated guesses. With these rubbish books, she couldn't theorize or even make any guesses. It was infuriating!

"When all this is over, I'll write my own book," she grumbled as she slammed down the notes on the table and stepped up to Ron. "You have to meditate. When you find your inner calm, try to feel the fire burning inside of you," she stated promptly.

Ron looked skeptical but did as she ordered. He sat down Indian style on the floor. For a few minutes, the only thing that could be heard was his deep breathing. After about twenty minutes of this, Hermione glanced at Harry, who sat slouching in a chair, watching the lesson. Having caught her look, he shrugged noncommittally. He had no idea.

Hermione looked annoyed and resisted the temptation to check her notes again. She turned hesitantly to Ron.

"Ron, try to focus on the…" she started in a low deliberate voice but Ron interrupted her.

"I'm not there yet." His voice was tinted with carefully controlled annoyance, and Hermione fell silent. She sighed and went back to sit with Harry as they waited for Ron to find some meditative calm.

The minutes ticked by as they watched Ron struggle to clear his head from all thoughts and feelings. He had always had the hardest time doing this, so they weren't surprised when suddenly he opened his eyes. "I can't do it! I can't concentrate!" he said in an irritated voice.

Hermione gave of an annoyed huff and got up from Harry's lap. "You have to try Ron!"

"What do you think I have been doing!" replied Ron hotly.

From his vantage point, Harry could see how Hermione closed her eyes briefly, praying for patience.

"It's not like I get any directions; meditate and feel your inner fire you say. It's not that easy!" continued Ron.

"There is nothing on the subject, no books, no masters, nothing! We have to figure it out ourselves. So I would appreciate if you could put down some effort. I spent hours in the library finding this so you could control **your** element!" said Hermione scathingly.

Ron sputtered and was about to retort when Harry groaned and dragged his hand through his hair.

"Come off it Ron. At least she is trying to help," he more or less ordered.

"How can you take her side! You know how difficult it is to grasp something like this with too little information. Wasn't that the mistake Snape did with your occlumency lessons?" he grumbled.

Harry's look silenced him. Harry stood up, and for the first time really engaged himself in the lesson.

"That was a bit different; Snape knew how to teach Occlumency – he only chose not to. Hermione is trying her best to help you learn a forgotten branch of magic, so a little gratefulness is appropriate I think," he said and folded his arms.

Ron sighed deeply before nodding, but he didn't sit down again. "We have to think of something else. This meditation thing doesn't work," he stated stubbornly.

They were silent for a few minutes, trying to figure out how to help Ron.

"Every time the fire came fourth, what did you feel? Any particular emotions?" Hermione asked after a while.

"Strong emotions: fear, hate, urgency and panic…desperation," said Ron slowly.

"In other words: the fire comes to you when you let go of all barriers – when there is nothing left than raw basic instincts?" said Harry and finished with a question.

"Maybe, but how does that help us?" said Ron, feeling rather clueless. For him, the concept of calling forth fire without using magic was rather bizarre. And he was the fire elemental!

"We need to find out what the fire is to you," said Hermione. Her eyes glowed as they did when she had gotten an idea. She waved her hand distractedly in the air, and Harry and Ron knew better than to try and interrupt her – making Hermione lose her trail of thought was never a good thing. "For you the fire comes at strong emotions. You need to be able to call forth the fire without using emotion."

"And how would I do that?" asked Ron quickly, chancing a question.

"We need you to find the fire. You have to identify the feel of it when your fire stirs," babbled Hermione, now pacing on the floor.

Harry and Ron glanced at each other bemusedly. She was rambling again.

"But how do I go about it?" cried Ron. "I have never felt the fire before, and when I do it's just when it's happening!"

"And what did you feel?" asked Hermione interested.

"I don't know! Just that something big and powerful just went out of control. I don't know!"

"That's not really helpful," sighed Hermione.

"Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention to how I felt during those moments. If you had forgotten, people were dying all around us at the time!"

"Maybe we could try to replicate the situation to try to stir the fire," mused Harry thoughtfully.

"Good idea. We can throw him in a nest of Acromantulas and see if that is distressing enough," said Hermione.

"This is serious," said Ron in a firm voice, showing that he had no intentions of going near any spider.

"Funny, I don't see you treating this seriously," bit Hermione back. They stood glaring at each other for a few seconds. Harry stared impassively at them; he couldn't really understand the tension between them, but then again sometimes those two didn't need an excuse to argue.

Suddenly Hermione swirled around and glared at Harry. "Your turn, I don't care right now," she said and stormed to the door. "I'm going to the library, see you later." And with that she slammed the door shut.

The two boys stood quiet for a while before Ron let out a breath.

"Barmy that one. Why did she have to fly off the handle like that?" exclaimed Ron.

Harry went up and tugged at Ron's hair. "Prat, you could have been a little bit easier on her."

"It's not that easy. You know how difficult this is and when she is her bossy self…"

"But you will apologize to her." It wasn't a question. "You know she is a bit stressed out over the trace and everything."

Ron nodded, and Harry went back to the matter at hand. "So fire…I thought, maybe we don't have to replicate things like fear and desperation. How about positive feelings?"

"Happiness…love," murmured Ron as he caught on. "We shouldn't have let Mione walk out on us," he said regretfully.

"Let's get her back then. We have important research to do," said Harry and waved his hand, summoning his Patronus. Prongs showed up in the middle of the room and stared attentively at them. "Hermione, we have made a breakthrough and we need you. Please come back," he said and waved his hand, sending the Patronus on its way.

Meanwhile Hermione had arrived to the library and had returned to her thick tomes. Grabbing _Scrying and tracing of the olde days_, she sat down in on of the uncomfortable library chairs. Huffing in annoyance she quickly looked around to make sure no one was around before swiftly transfiguring the wooden chair into a nice recliner. After some effort she managed to find page 569, where she had last been reading.

_Another method of ensuring that your brood, be it by blood or not is safe, is by affixing to them a warded pendant or other trinket linked to a ward stone, this would ensure knowing the condition on pre-decided aspects of the protégé – no matter where he or she is. This method stopped working when the person died however – making it popular to use in war, (note; it wasn't infallible, should the ward fall of so would its power). _

_Another more obscure and occult branch of this method is the so called blood tracing. This particular form was created by Elfriga MacDoaugal in the twelfth century to be able to trace her children should they ever be kidnapped by troll which was a common occurrence in southern Scotland at the time. In our enlightened era, though, this is considered Dark arts due to the fact that it is irreversible. By taking blood from…_

Hermione was interrupted at this point when a familiar Patronus appeared in front of her.

"Hermione, we have made a breakthrough and we need you. Please come back." Harry's voice came from the stag before it bowed its head towards her and faded away. Hermione put down the old, and frankly dead-boring, book and was about to hurry back to her boys, when she suddenly paused.

She still felt a little bit annoyed with them. Why, she truthfully couldn't tell. It wasn't like they had had a major argument – just small bickering. So why did she still feel annoyed with them?

She sat down in the recliner but put away the book. She frowned thoughtfully as she played with one of her quills. She **was** annoyed with them – annoyed with the fact that they didn't see fit to really make an effort with Ron's element. Annoyed that they sometimes did things where she couldn't really follow them (really, sneaking out past curfew to steal brooms). Annoyed that she seemed to be the only one working, day in and day out with these boring books, trying to find a way to cancel the trace.

_Maybe we have been together too much_, she thought sardonically. She picked up a more promising book and started reading. _Let them do without me for a bit, then we'll see if they come running. _

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"What is taking her so long?" muttered Harry impatiently.

"She is not a house-elf to come when we call," reminded Ron. "She is probably just showing us that she is still annoyed."

"But why does she have to show us that right now," grumbled Harry, to which Ron only shrugged. Harry blew out a breath and stepped up to Ron, who held his ground.

"We better go and get her then," he said and grabbed Ron's hand, already turned towards the door.

"Can't you tell me what your brilliant idea was first. You can't leave me hanging here," complained Ron, refusing to move an inch despite Harry's pulling at his arm.

Harry turned around and faced him, his eyes sparkling with humor. "Oh, I just thought we could create some strong emotions," he said nonchalantly and went closer to Ron. "Something that is sure to spark some fire inside of you. Something like this," he said and suddenly leaned up and kissed Ron.

Ron felt his heart flutter in his chest, and he slid his own hands up across Harry's torso. The rational part of his brain knew that this was only for trying to figure out the secrets to his fire element, but the other part of his brain didn't care. He felt wave after wave of Something flooding his body, and he made a move to take the lead in the kissing.

He didn't get a chance though, because suddenly Harry flinched back from him. Ron mourned the loss for a split second before his senses made him aware of someone behind him.

Spinning around he came face to face with a towering Severus Snape.

_How did he enter here? _Thought Ron, perplexed. _The door was warded and…_ his gaze drifted to the door and felt like punching himself. _Of course; the warding fell when Hermione stormed out. And we didn't put them up again._ He glanced at Harry, who seemed to have come to the same conclusion. They were getting a bit too careless.

"Potter, Weasley," Snape acknowledged with a dark smirk. "I have always known that there was something wrong with Gryffindors, but not even I would think you would start jumping at your own gender," he stated in a triumphal voice.

"We are in love Professor; there's nothing wrong with that," said Harry in controlled voice. He made a show of taking Ron's hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly. No point in trying to conceal the truth now.

"Oh I don't know if the rest of the world agrees, but we'll find out, won't we? I might have to report it to your head of house, and she would undoubtedly have to report such questionable behavior to your parents. I wonder what they would do should they find out that their sons are poufs – such a disappointment," he said vindictively and continued, "Or maybe not in Weasley's case; they have enough brood to keep the line going."

"What do you want us to say Professor? You caught us red handed," said Harry in a low voice as he considered his options. "Although we could memory-charm you, kill you or threaten you to silence." He fell silent as he pondered each option. They had all merits. Maybe the middle one was a bit difficult to get away with. _Difficult but not impossible_, he thought wickedly.

"As if you would ever land a curse on me, but please try; I would love to see Potter's face when his son is expelled for attacking a teacher."

They didn't really get a chance to answer because in that moment James and Sirius appeared in the doorway. First it seemed that they would just continue on their way, but then Sirius happened to look inside and see their number one enemy.

"Hey, what's going on here? Snape, what are you doing with my son?" called James.

"Nothing you need to concern you with Potter, I'm just disciplining these two Gryffindors."

"Oh yeah, and what did they do?" asked Sirius and crossed his arms.

Snape glanced at Harry and Ron, his eyes calculating, Harry started to get a feeling that maybe he wouldn't have to memory-charm three people tonight.

"Nothing you need to know about Black – student confidentiality you know…or maybe you don't. You never were one for discretion. Must be blood-traitor dysfunction."

"Why you…" started Sirius angrily but was interrupted by Snape, who waved at Harry and Ron.

"Get out of my sight now before I change my mind."

"Yes Professor." They quickly obeyed, but when they slunk past the Professor, Harry carefully leaned in and muttered, "Thank you."

Snape acted as if he hadn't heard, and instead he called after them.

"And Potter, Weasley – fifty points from Gryffindor for inappropriate behavior," he said in a smug voice that told that he enjoyed taking points from James's son right in front of his eyes.

"Hey wait, you can't take that many points for no reason at all," shouted Sirius in outrage.

"Yes I can Black!" sneered Snape. "It's one of the privileges of being a teacher; we get to take away points for improper behavior no matter what objections their parents may have."

"Improper behavior according to you, you slimy…" What Sirius intended to say was lost to Harry and Ron as they hurried down the corridor.

"Maybe we should have stayed – just to make sure they don't kill each other," said Ron.

"Eh, that won't be necessary; it might be two of them, but Snape knows a lot of dark curses. It'll be even."

"But they are aurors," reminded Ron.

Harry simply replied, "But he is a Slytherin."

Ron simply rolled his eyes to this and didn't voice his thoughts on that particular argument. _What does being Slytherin have to do with it?_

Forgetting about their elders' misgivings they set out to find Hermione, which was rather easy, even without using the tracking charms they had applied on each other. She was in the library like they had expected. What was unexpected though was that her books laid discarded all around her, and instead she was busy doodling away on a parchment.

Harry sneaked up behind her and glanced over her shoulder. The parchment was full of drawings of Ron and himself. In one corner were a sketch of a wolf and a werewolf wrestling together, an owl was spreading her wings over them.

"It looks great," complimented Harry. Hermione flinched, startled, before flicking her wand and vanishing the parchment. "That was unnecessary," said Harry, slightly hesitant, and touched her lightly on her shoulder. "They were really beautiful. You have talent."

Hermione sighed and leaned against Harry, eliciting a small smile from Harry.

"I'm not angry with you," she said slowly when she noticed how his emotions soared.

"But something was wrong, wasn't it. And it wasn't only Ron's fire lesson," said Harry as he played around with her hair.

"It was nothing, I'm fine now," she said dismissively. She could almost feel how they exchanged looks over her head.

"Okay," said Ron finally in a clearly disbelieving voice, telling her that the matter wasn't forgotten. "Well, if it's nothing then we better go now; the schools will be here any moment now, and McGonagall will kill us if we're not there on time," he said and grabbed both of them. With himself in the middle and a steady grip around their shoulders, he led them towards the entrance hall. "And what was so special about the parchment?" he asked, befuddled.

"Hermione has been keeping secrets from us," said Harry happily. "She never saw fit to tell us that she is a very gifted drawer," he continued, causing Hermione to blush slightly.

"Oh, I didn't know," said Ron enthusiastically. Surprises among them were rare these days. "Can you show me?"

"No, I'm not that good," mumbled Hermione, a little bit embarrassed, and decided there and then to put her strongest wards on her parchment.

As if reading her mind Harry chose just then to say, "We will see them sooner or later Hermione, no matter how much you'll try and hide them."

Hermione glared suspiciously at Harry. She hadn't detected any intrusion in her mind, but that didn't mean he hadn't passed her shields. _Then_ _again, he knows me too well. _The feeling of being too close to her boyfriends welled up within her before she squashed it down. Really, she was being ridiculous. Being too close to her boyfriends! They were her world, her life, her heart.

_No privacy, no individuality. _Again the crushed her traitorous thoughts and focused on the scene in front of them.

They were a bit late, so the rest of the school had already gathered outside the school. They ended up far in the back behind some particularly tall seventh years.

It was a cold and clear evening; dusk was falling, and a pale, transparent-looking moon was already shining over the forbidden forest.

The three of them stood silent, this time around not speculating over how the two schools might arrive. All around them students were eagerly talking to each other while craning their necks in all direction in the hopes of spotting their far-away guests.

In the corner of his eye, Harry could see James and Sirius come out from the doors and stalk up to where Dumbledore stood. Both looked grim and angry, and Sirius' red auror clothes had a big gash that James quickly repaired as they went. Dumbledore seemed to inquire something to James to which James just grimaced.

Harry turned around in time to see Snape slink out through the doors, magic suspiciously circling his left eye in what looked like a glamour. He skulked to the far left, as far away from Sirius and James as he could get, and then proceed to melt into the shadows. He actually did it so well that Harry suspected he had used a notice-me-not charm.

He managed to catch Snape's eyes through the haze of whatever enchantments, and Harry smiled. Snape predictably sneered back, but it wasn't as hateful as Harry remembered it. His smile widened, and he motioned to Hermione and not-too-subtly pointed towards Snape, who was still scrutinizing them.

"Snape caught Ron and me kissing before," he whispered to her. Hermione didn't answer, but he could tell she was listening. "He didn't tell on us, which is very un-Snape like."

"Maybe he wanted blackmail material," suggested Hermione.

"From a couple of teenagers?" asked Harry skeptically.

"Maybe he wanted to have a hold on us. Still a bit unrealistic I admit."

"He probably just wanted to use you as revenge against the Marauders," said Ron simply.

"Whatever reason, I'm happy. It saved us an Obliviate, and even if he is using us in some scheme of his, we can always Obliviate him if it gets annoying," said Harry in a calm voice. He didn't mention that he had new respect for the dour potions master. That would be embarrassing should Snape turn out to be using them.

"Isn't it annoying that we have to second guess everything all the time?" complained Ron at the same time as Hermione whispered in an awed voice, "Here they come!"

She pointed to the sky where the black shape of Beauxbatons' carriage appeared above the Forbidden Forest, pulled by a dozen magnificent winged horses.

The front three rows of students drew backward as the carriage hurtled ever lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed. Then, with an almighty crash, the horses' hooves, larger than dinner plates, hit the ground. A second later, the carriage landed too, bouncing upon its vast wheels while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled large, fiery red eyes.

The Hogwarts students stood shock-still, staring in awe at the great carriage, when the door suddenly opened and Headmistress Maxime stepped out.

The trio smirked at the astonished looks she garnered and proceeded to look out for Fleur. They easily spotted her silvery waist-long hair as she emerged right after Madame Maxime.

"She looks beautiful as usual," commented Ron flippantly as he watched his potentially sister-in-law.

"We should introduce ourselves," said Harry, which caused the other two to eye him weirdly.

"Eh Harry? She doesn't know us," reminded Ron.

"Yet," said Harry, grinning for some reason. "We could try and show her that not all students are "dimwitted idiots" as she so eloquently put it."

"That might have been because half of the student population treated her like the goddess Aphrodite – must have gotten annoying after a while," snorted Hermione.

"But it would be nice to see her again. A little bit weird isn't it? Last time we saw her was when we shipped the Jones family to France," said Ron, causing Harry to frown in thought.

"I thought last time we saw her was during the Hertford battle."

"Nah, she came personally to see them over the channel. We didn't have much time for chatting. You were off fighting the giants in Wales at the time. She told us that she had decided a name for the baby," explained Ron, causing Hermione to interject with a shake of her head.

"Five months pregnant and still running around organizing the refugee camp in France. She was a strong woman," she said fondly.

"I don't remember that happening, but then again, that winter was a horrible one," said Harry with a sigh.

"It was the autumn Harry," reminded Ron, amused.

"See what I mean? Those weeks were mostly a blur. My memories a jumbled mess – battle upon battle, with no means to distinguish them from each other."

"It was a bit stressful," conceded Ron, ignoring Harry's snort at the obvious understatement.

"Look at the lake!" a third year Ravenclaw suddenly screamed, and heads turned just in time to see a mast rise from the water. With a loud sloshing sound, the ship broke the surface and came to float on the turbulent water. After a minute or so, the water stilled and the ship started towards the beach with an almost eerie stillness only augmented by the nearly full moon.

As she skeleton-looking ship reached the shore, the anchor was lowered and a big plank connected with land with a loud bang that echoed over the ground. Almost immediately figures started to emerge, and Harry tensed when he saw the person leading the Durmstrang students.

It was a bulky man with a big beard tied up in beads and bands. When he turned around to face the students, Harry could see that his hair was also elaborately decorated with colorful trinkets. He wore a blood red cloak rimmed with gold and forest green that could even rival Dumbledore's sense of clothing.

But it wasn't the man's choice of clothing that had him uncertain; it was the fact that the man wasn't Karkaroff.

"Where's…" started Hermione as they saw the man walk up to Dumbledore in long strides and shake his hand enthusiastically.

"Ah Dumbledore, how good to finally meet you!" he said in a loud rumbling voice that immediately had everyone listening.

"You too, for a while I never thought we would be able to tear you away from the adventure that surely must be Durmstrang," said Dumbledore jovially.

"Too true, but with a quest such as this, how could Durmstrang do anything but rise to the challenge?" he stated and gestured grandly to the students behind him. "We are more than prepared to show you Europeans how to survive," he stated jokingly even though Harry could hear the conviction in his words.

"You forget, Pyotr, that you are Europeans too," reminded Dumbledore, chuckling.

"Tch, deatails. You know Dumbledore that the location of Durmstrang is supposed to be a secret," said Pyotr in a booming voice.

"And a mystery you strive hard to uphold," inserted Dumbledore before welcoming them inside. The guests went in, quickly followed by the Hogwarts students, eager to finally get away from the biting wind.

The students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons disappeared, but the Hogwarts students gathered in the entrance hall to engage in some gossiping. From the excited whispering all around them, Harry realized that several had noticed that Krum was amongst the Durmstrangs students.

Hermione was currently busy teasing Ron, something that was rather stupid on her side considering that Ron had just as much ammo on that particular topic.

"AndHermy-own-ninny, what will you do, if dear Vicky asks you to be his date again."

"I would say yes – if only to see you work yourself into frenzy about getting a girl."

"Don't be silly, I would simply go with Harry," whispered Ron discreetly and touched Hermione's cheek. For understandable reasons, Ron and Harry avoided touching each other in public.

"And wouldn't that cause a stir," snorted Harry. "In some aspects the wizarding world is still stuck in the Victorian era; they'd crucify us for being such 'abominations.'"

"Abominations? I think I can recall at least three teachers that called us that in school," came James' voice from behind.

"And I'm sure you didn't deserve such an epithet at all," replied Harry silkily and gave his dad a rather awkward hug.

"Yeah yeah son, I get it. You don't have to hug me in front of your friends. We are just passing through, so I won't embarrass you too much," he said with an easy smile. Then he went to completely contradict his own words. "So Harry, what's with you and writing? Your old folks feel rather neglected at home – two letters since school started. Two! What on earth do you need an owl for if you're not using it!"

Harry didn't really know what to say, mostly because he was sure it would be awkward to say he sent letters to others. Luckily Hermione rescued him.

"Harry's been kind enough to lend Hedwig to me and Ron when ever we want to write, so she's been quite busy, Mr. Potter.

"Oh well, then it's fine I guess," finished James a bit sheepishly. "Um, do you know where your sister and her cohorts are?"

"No idea, they're probably here somewhere. I'm sure you can find them using your awesome auror skills," said Harry, rather unhelpful.

"No need for auror skills. We'll just follow in the wake of chaos," said Sirius and was about to leave when Harry stopped them.

"Dad, Sirius, I was wondering, could you help us with something?"

James, who seemed to switch into protective father mood as soon as the word "help" was mentioned, stopped and stared attentively at his son.

"We were just wondering about the headmaster of Durmstrang. Who is he?"

The two men looked rather confused over the question, but Sirius answered nonetheless.

"He is Pyotr Tokovsky, a once time dueling champion and legendary grey wizard. Was an annoyance for the ICW for years because of his rather laissez-faire view on the statue of secrecy. I think they got quite happy when he became headmaster of Durmstrang a few years back and he had to follow such boring things as regulations and rules."

"But what happened to Karkaroff? I thought he was the headmaster?" asked Hermione.

"He was, up till six years ago when he died," said James slowly. It didn't go unnoticed that the two men suddenly had become more wary and scrutinized the trio. "Why the interest? Karkaroff was never the most brilliant of wizards."

"We just want to know. Is there a problem with that?"

"No… it's just that… some things you're better off not knowing."

"Why, he was just a headmaster…" said Harry innocently before continuing suspiciously, "How did he die?"

"He was murdered," came reluctantly from James.

"Do you know who did it?"

"No, and we probably never will. He was murdered when he was on his way home from a friend. It could have been anyone, even a muggle, and we have no way of catching the murderer."

"Karkaroff did snitch on a lot of Death Eaters," said Hermione, and when she saw the strange looks she got from James and Sirius, added defensively, "What! It's a matter of public records."

"I can imagine a lot of Death Eaters escaped Azkaban. They would be out for revenge on a traitor."

"Listen, you can research it if you are so interested, but you won't find anything on it. It would be safer if you just put your energy into something else."

"To me it sounds like you have your suspects," said Harry and eyed them coldly. "And don't dare say that we are too young!"

"It's not that. We can't give out sensitive information like that, so forget all of it. You are students, not aurors," said James, scrutinizing them. They nodded reluctantly, and James smiled thinly and turned around. Just before leaving he seemed to remember something, and he touched Harry's shoulder.

"Oh and Harry congrats at your improved grades," said James before they disappeared in the crowd.

"I hate being underage. No one takes you seriously, and you can't force information out of people," grumbled Ron.

"The Loyals," said Harry impassively. "That's what the aurors suspects."

Ron and Hermione didn't question where he got the information from.

"Makes sense; if the rumors right, then most of the inner circle is together, and they wouldn't appreciate someone selling them out. They would want revenge," mused Harry.

"I'm surprised that they dare to do any unauthorized killings. As far as I know, Death Eaters don't dare to even sneeze without their master's permission," said Ron.

_Maybe Voldemort isn't as isolated as we think. Maybe he leads the Death Eaters already, infiltrating the wizarding world, _thought Harry darkly. He didn't get opportunity to voice his thoughts because a cheerful voice called out to them. 

"Hey Ron!" Percy appeared at the doors and ran over to them. He was wearing dark blue robes with a paper-filled satchel over his shoulder.

"Percy," said Ron, surprised. "What are you doing at Hogwarts? This is Harry and Hermione by the way," he continued hastily, motioning to his two companions.

"Nice to meet you." Percy nodded to the two of them with a smile. "I'm here with Fudge. He is the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Fudge is going to be one of the judges."

"Oh right; you are his personal assistant," said Hermione. "How is work?"

"It's okay. In the beginning it was just a secretary job, but after I declined Umbridge's offer, I got some more responsibility," said Percy proudly before discreetly looking over his shoulder. In a lower voice he added, "Fudge is very ambitious you see, he wants to become the next minister of magic. He spends all his time charming allies and supporters, which means he's far too busy for ordinary tasks, meaning he leaves them for me to do."

"Do you know what kind of allies he's getting?" wondered Harry.

"Malfoy, Nott, Zabini and Selwyn are the ones who have been the most generous with donations for his cause," informed Percy. When he saw their surprised expression, he added smugly, "What! I handle **all** of his affairs after all: speeches, bank transfers, appointments, documents, meeting with low level diplomats."

"So he won't like it at all if you suddenly decide to switch loyalties?" asked Harry with a grin.

"Not at all."

"So where is he now?" asked Ron.

"He went to speak with Longbottom, I think he wants to convince the Boy-who-lived to join his cause; it would look very good in his campaign," said Percy and nodded towards the stairs where Fudge were talking animatedly with Neville. Neville seemed a bit overwhelmed by the attention, but they seemed to hit off well enough.

"Pompous idiot," muttered Harry.

"Which one?" asked Hermione good-naturedly.

Percy, who had stared at his boss with an indecipherable look, turned back and clasped Ron's arm in farewell. "I better go and remind him that we are supposed to meet headmaster before entering." He smiled and laughed shortly, showing a side of him they had never really seen before maybe with the exception of a short moment during battle of Hogwarts. "I **am** the most efficient assistant in the ministry after all; don't want the boss to remember by himself and then reprimand me for not reminding him," he winked at them before striding over to where Fudge stood.

"He's very different from how I remember," said Hermione.

"Maybe it's the absence of Crouch…" suggested Ron.

"Or just the fact that he has someone in the family who cares about his career," said Harry and looked pointedly at Ron.

"Eh, we have only been on a good foot since the summer, not enough to cause any major personality changes," said Ron dismissively.

"But you do like him, genuinely like him," said Hermione knowledgeably. Ron nodded.

"I do. He is more serious than the rest of the family, easier to connect to… also I never was that close to him in my old time. When I was younger, he was always so pompously. Then he broke from the family, and during the war we had to pretend we hated each other as to not blow his cover."

"I guess this Percy never stole the place of the old one. You have a clean slate," said Hermione.

"Yeah…" said Ron with a small smile. On the other side of the hall he could see the doors to the Great Hall open and the Hogwarts students started to filter inside – still talking excitedly. He turned to Harry with a grin, "so, shall we mingle with the guests then? Prove that there aren't only dunderheads in Hogwarts?"

"Hah, they will undoubtedly think that of us anyway. Remember we are three years younger," teased Hermione.

"But then it will be so much more fun to surprise them," said Harry and led the way inside the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione smiled and clasped hands, following him.

They hung back slightly when they entered so that they still were close to the doors when the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students arrived. The Beauxbatons barely stopped as they immediately headed towards Ravenclaw table, as directed by Fleur.

The Durmstrang students stayed by the doors, unsure, and seemed to have a silent conversation between them.

Boldly Harry stepped up to them so that he got their attention.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," he said with an easy smile and nodded towards them. "I'm Harry Potter and you are welcome to sit at our table if you'd like." By now he had the attention of everyone in the hall. The attention weren't all positive, as some student whispered that it should have been the head boy greeting them and not some measly fourth year.

The Durmstrang students however, looked rather relieved and didn't seem to mind the fourth year. Krum gave him a terse nod and they all followed Harry. They sat down just as the teachers and headmasters entered the hall. The Beauxbatons students all leapt up to their feet when Madame Maxime entered.

A few of the Hogwarts students laughed at this and the Durmstrang students seemed quite astounded by this behavior.

"What a bunch of…" muttered one Durmstrang student and finished with a word in Russian, they didn't understand it but all the Durmstrang students sniggered.

The teachers and guests all sat down while Dumbledore remained standing.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and - most particularly - guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

Fleur at the Ravenclaw table gave a derisive laugh; she was still wearing her muffler on her head, as were several of her friends.

"For students who obviously thinks manners are important; they're acting quite rude," commented Hermione, causing some of the Durmstrangs to nod.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," continued Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

He sat down, and Harry saw headmaster Tokovsky lean forward at once and engage him in conversation.

The plates in front of them filled with food as usual. The house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there were even a few foreign dishes at the table.

"Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?" a melodious voice asked from behind them, interrupting the conversation they had just striked up with the Durmstrangs. They turned around to see Fleur standing there, nodding towards the bouillabaisse.

"No, you can have it," said Ron and handed it over. He gave her a small smile and said, "Welcome to Hogwarts by the way, hope you'll like it here."

Fleur snorted disbelievingly and motioned towards the hall and the students. "I doubt it, iz cold and drab."

"You can borrow my coat if you want," offered a Durmstrang student. He stared at Fleur admiringly and seemed to have forgotten all about their slightly disdained thoughts about the Beauxbatons students. "Durmstrang gets a lot colder than this, I don't mind the chill."

"No thank you," said Fleur dismissively, showing clearly that she was all too used to this sort of behavior. She turned away from him and surveyed the others around the table. Everyone was gawking at her, not even the older Durmstrang boys managed to keep the awe from their faces. She paused for a second when she noticed that neither Ron nor Harry was staring at her love struck but instead with curiosity.

She seemed bewildered for a second before she shrugged and gave a small smile to them and returned to her table, bouillabaisse in her hands.

The trio watched amused as their guests and housemates stared longingly after the veela.

"Isn't she the most beautiful woman in the world?" commented Harry slyly, causing the Durmstrang students to snap out of it.

"A veela!" groaned a boy who had introduced himself as Alexander Zjanyv, who sat to Krum's right side.

"Quarter veela, I think," said Hermione.

"I think you all handled it quite well, except for the gawping and offer to lend her the coat – that was a bit obvious I'm afraid," said Harry lightly.

"I had a cousin whose girlfriend was veela, almost caused a blood feud to break out between my brother and uncle. She was flirting with everything that moved, seductresses the lot of them," grumbled a very east European looking boy.

"How come you weren't affected?" asked Krum dismayed and stared at them, he was one of those how had snapped out of it the quickest.

"Oh, we wouldn't dare," said Harry and nudged Hermione in the side, "She would kill us if we started to act like normal boys."

Hermione's lip twitched and Ron choked on his pumpkin juice. Hermione ignored them and turned instead to Krum.

"I was wondering, how will you manage school? Will you share classes with our seventh years or will you been in your ship?"

Krum was about to answer when a nervous voice was heard from behind, "excuse me, Victor, could you sign my book?"

They glanced around to see a sixth year Ravenclaw standing there, two giggling friends at her side. Krum sighed almost unnoticeably and gave the girls a tightlipped smile. "Sure, what shall I write?" he asked politely.

The girls burst out in new giggles and the first girl managed to recite, "to Sheylynn from Victor would be perfect. You know I really admired that feint you did in the world cup, it was so daring of you!" she continued admiringly. Krum's smile turned a little bit more strained and he quickly finished the autograph.

He was just about to turn back to the conversation at the table when a horde of girls who had seen the exchange arrived. Krum sent a pleading look to his friends who just laughed and motioned for him to return to his fans, apparently used to this kind of behavior.

"Let's continue without him, our Victor will be busy for the rest of the evening," said Alexander amused. Krum muttered something no one could hear but his friend seemed to get the gist of it for he laughed again. "The price of fame, friend," he pointed out before turning back to Hermione. "We will have some classes with you, like Herbology and potions but some we will have in our ship, we have subjects in our curriculum that you don't teach here at Hogwarts," he explained, that it was the Dark Arts they taught was left unsaid.

Harry couldn't help but to feel a bit jealous of the Durmstrang students who got to learn the Dark Arts – they were dead useful in battle. He had conveniently forgotten that he once had been appalled by the fact that a school thought the Dark Arts. He had been a lot more naïve at fourteen.


	16. The prank

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The fire crackled merrily in the background, giving some warmth into their cold backs. The walk from Hogwarts had been an unpleasant one. The kettle gave a shrill whistle, and Hagrid pulled it away from the hearth.

"It's nice of you to come and see me. I thought everyone would be busy up in the castle, what with all the guests and preparations for the Halloween feast."

"It's not that exciting to be honest," explained Ron, "except watching Krum trying to fend off autograph seekers – that's always fun. It took about three seconds for Durmstrang's dark reputation to shatter."

Hermione rolled her eyes at her boyfriend; Ron could never let up an opportunity to have a go at Krum even though it wasn't out of spite anymore. She accepted a rock cookie and looked out the window. It was windy and cold outside, which they had felt on their way down to Hagrid's hut. In the moonlight she could see the Abraxan horses in their paddock. "How did it go with the Abraxans by the way? We heard you got to care for them," asked Hermione. Hagrid smiled.

"Amazing creatures Abraxans, it's a shame we don't breed them at Hogwarts," said Hagrid in a wistful voice and continued admiringly, "Madame Maxime breeds them herself, and that ain't easy!"

"But we have thestrals, Hagrid. They must be cooler than some winged ponies," said Ron.

"Well yeah, they might be a little bit more interesting than Abraxans, but you can't ride 'em," said Hagrid with an eager smile.

"You can ride thestrals," said Harry.

.Hagrid looked at them surprised. "And how do you know about that? Not many would think thestrals would be good to ride on."

"Well they are horses aren't they," answered Harry as if it was obvious. "Or can't you ride a thestral?"

"Well you can ride 'em, as long as you don't fear 'em. Same goes for hippogriffs and dragons," said Hagrid, which had the trio grinning at each other.

"How come you know so much about magical creatures Hagrid?" asked Hermione.

Hagrid blushed and continued bashfully, "Well I haven't had any education really. I've just been traveling a lot, meeting people and animals. Still remember when I saw a wild wyvern in Scotland thirty years ago – would have bit my head off if I hadn't run off into a herd of cows!"

Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at Hagrid in disbelief before shaking their heads, deciding that to force Hagrid never to leave his hut for his own good would be impossible.

"Any other stories we never heard of?" said Hermione faintly.

"Well my favorite is when I went to the South America; a Peruvian showed me an Occamy, it's a…." started Hagrid to explain but was interrupted by Hermione.

"A winged snake."

Hagrid beamed at her. "Excellent Hermione – if it was class, I would give you ten points to Gryffindor!"

"Um Hagrid, I think you just gave her ten points," pointed Ron out, "not that we complain or anything," he quickly added.

"I did, didn't I? Well you deserve it Hermione," said Hagrid with a laugh and added fondly, "Brightest witch in your year."

"I was wondering Hagrid… have you ever met a basilisk?" asked Harry suddenly. Ron and Hermione glanced at him. They knew immediately where he was heading with that question.

"Can't say I have, which I'm rather happy about by the way. Dangerous creatures, basilisks," said Hagrid thoughtfully and leaned back in his chair.

"Doesn't that make them more interesting?" snorted Ron only to be hit with a rock cake. Harry wanted to hear what Hagrid was going to say.

"So you don't know much about them?" asked Harry, disappointed.

"I was never an expert, but I have snapped up a thing or two about 'em. I once met a basilisk hunter from the Amazonas, apparently the best place to look for basilisks."

"Do you know how to hatch basilisks?" asked Harry, managing to make his voice sound just slightly curious.

"I thought Hermione would be able to answer that," said Hagrid with a glance at Hermione but went ahead explaining anyway. "A basilisk egg hatches only under a toad."

"Do you know how long that takes?"

"I've never heard of anyone trying it, but from what the hunter said, it seems like the hatching takes a couple of months – he usually went about catching the hatchlings when they were newly born."

"But wasn't that dangerous? A basilisk can kill with its gaze," asked Hermione, trying to imagine anyone catching a snake that can instantly kill a person.

"Basilisk hatchlings can't kill with their gaze until after the first shedding. That's why the hunters always try to find the nests as quickly as they can."

"And when is the first shedding?" asked Harry.

"Hmm…from when they hatch, it takes around two weeks. They grow quickly."

Harry was just about to ask about what they ate when Hagrid seemed to catch on to what kind of questions they, or rather Harry, was asking.

"Hold on a second! Why all the questions? You are not thinking about breeding basilisks are you?" he asked and stared sternly at Harry.

"No not at all!" assured Harry and smiled, "where would I find basilisk eggs? I was just wondering, wouldn't it be exciting to be basilisk hunters?" said Harry and turned excitedly to Ron and Hermione. Both of them followed obediently in the act, and Hermione frowned disapprovingly as Ron exclaimed, "Basilisk hunters, I bet you can earn a lot of money doing that!"

Hagrid chuckled, his suspicions dispelled, and he continued, "I doubt your parents would let you away to do anything like that – very dangerous job."

"They let Charlie work with dragons!" Ron pointed out. Honestly, he knew that it had only been a diversion on Harry's side, but when he thought about it, it really sounded exciting. Maybe he could convince Harry and Hermione to become basilisk hunters when they were finished with the Voldemort business.

"Then maybe I can talk yea out of it. The death rate among basilisk hunters is fifty percent, the job involves traveling to the most dangerous places in the world and not to mention, if you would be so lucky as to find a nest, then you can be sure there will be a fully grown basilisk close by. My friend, Flerbie was his name, was attacked by one when he was collecting the eggs from the nest. He got away by throwing himself into a waterfall. He lost his wand and all the eggs. It took three months before he managed to get back to civilization."

Ron grinned, even more eager to try it than before. He looked at Harry, who also had gotten an excited glint in his eyes. Harry caught Ron's gaze and they grinned at each other. Hermione groaned and sank back in her chair. "Wonderful Hagrid, now they want to be basilisk hunters!" she said exasperatedly, "It's gonna take me weeks to get this silly notion out of their heads," she grumbled.

"But wouldn't it be exciting Hermione, traveling the world, seeing different cultures. Just think; there is so much to learn – things that no one else has ever discovered!" said Harry slyly.

Hermione rolled her eyes but smiled nevertheless. _Damn you Harry, you always know how to make me doubt my own judgment,_ she thought fondly. "That we can do with S.P.E.W too," she retorted.

She had to bite her cheek to not laugh out at their looks; they thought she had let go of that. The silenced dragged out, and Harry and Ron stared at each other helplessly. Finally Ron crossed his arms and said stubbornly, "But I won't wear a spew badge!"

Hermione couldn't help but to let a giggle out at that, and she jumped up in Ron's lap. "You are so sweet Ron," she said happily and, heedless of Hagrid's bemused look, kissed him on his cheek.

"You see Hagrid, what I have to deal with day out and day in?" said Harry amusedly to Hagrid as Ron and Hermione continued to cuddle on the chair.

"I think it is rather romantic," said Hagrid and offered Harry another cookie. "How about you Harry? Any girl in your thoughts?"

Harry declined the offer and shook his head, "No, not that I'm looking anyway – girls are weird," said Harry, causing Hagrid to give a rumbling laugh.

"Ha, I actually heard your father and Sirius say those exact words once. Don't you worry Harry, you'll find a girl," said Hagrid encouragingly.

"Yeah, but I have Ron and Hermione, and I guess they'll have to do," joked Harry, causing Ron to look up from Hermione and pout at Harry. "How about you Hagrid? Do you have anyone?"

"I think I might be a bit too old for romance," Hagrid said bashfully and twirled his beard. Harry cocked his head to the side and grinned; Hagrid's behavior was all too familiar.

"Are you sure you don't fancy anyone? How about Madame Maxime? You seemed to admire her a lot, and she's got a good hand with animals," said Harry innocently.

"And she's your size too!" added Ron jokingly.

Harry had never seen Hagrid blush as much as he did then.

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"I have read those pages now Hermione," said Ron in a weary voice and put the tome down on the table. Hermione looked up from a complicated diagram and let her eyes roam over the book.

"Did you find anything useful?" They were sitting in the library. Ron had been enlisted by Hermione to read a book she didn't have time for. Harry had conveniently disappeared, Ron strongly suspected he was down in the Chamber of Secrets again.

"I don't know," said Ron and absentmindedly ran his head through his hair, a move eerily similar to what Harry used to do. "Most were just rubbish, but there was something," he started to flip through the pages, "here, page 376, they talk about the improper use of magic office." He pushed the book over to Hermione, who read through the section twice as quick as Ron had.

"Mmm that's good," she said absentmindedly and scribbled something her notebook. Ron smiled towards her even though she didn't see it.

"Glad to help, anything else you need help with?"

"No, I'm fine." Was the distracted response.

"Then I'll go and get you something from the kitchen," replied Ron who recognized her distracted mood. He stood up and stretched, before starting to leave. He didn't get that far because something caught his eyes. Or rather someone.

It was an Unspeakable, dressed in customary grey cloaks with hoods obscuring the face. The Unspeakable, Ron thought it was a man, moved slowly through the library holding a funny looking device in his hand, a flashing orb hanging on a chain surrounded by a metal construction with arrows pointing in every direction.

"Mione!" he said in a low, urgent voice and Hermione immediately looked up. Her gaze quickly found the Unspeakable and her eyes widened in recognition. A small motion with her hand and Ron immediately retreated back to their table and Hermione stood up.

"Can you help me get a book, it's really high up?" she asked in a normal voice. Ron nodded, a bit bemused, but followed her nonetheless, figuring she had some intention behind it.

She led him around a bookshelf so that they couldn't be seen by the Unspeakable. Carefully they peered around the corner but the unspeakable had turned around a corner and were gone.

Hermione sighed quietly and went back to her table, Ron following, looking questionly at her.

"I have seen that device before, in Diagon Alley," said Hermione and, knowing it was important, added, "In the hands of an Unspeakable."

Ron nodded, realization dawning. If there was something the war had managed to drill into their heads was that you could never trust anything to be coincident. Seeing an Unspeakable with a strange device twice wasn't a coincident.

"It might be nothing but remind me to tell Harry when he gets back, he'll bring down hell on us otherwise," said Ron. He just remembered what he were doing before seeing the Unspeakable and started towards the kitchen. "By the way do you know what the thing was?"

Hermione shook her head, "No idea, I'll do some research," she groaned when she realized what she had said, "…when I get the time."

Ron nodded and headed down to the kitchen.

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Harry swiftly walked away from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom after visiting the Chamber of Secrets to recast the warming spell on the basilisk eggs. He really needed to find a toad so the eggs would hatch. _I could probably still find one in the forbidden forest_, he mused, but he needed a way to get around Ron and Hermione's refusal.

Harry was so caught up in his musings that he almost missed the warded door. He had walked past it when he noticed the slight hum of the enchantment on the door. _Strange. This door shouldn't be warded._ Carefully he lifted the wards and slipped inside.

"Imperio!" a voice said, and Harry tensed but there was no one in sight. The adrenaline coursed through him in the anticipation of battle but instead of running headfirst into the classroom, he waved his hand and turned invisible. Carefully he edged further into the abandoned classroom and found the occupants hiding away in a dark alcove in the back.

Secure in knowing that his enchantment would hold, he stepped closer so he could easily see who was there. It was Aloysius Crouch and surrounding him were Draco Malfoy, Celeste Lestrange, Theodore Nott, Crabbe and Goyle. Theodore Nott was currently rolling around on the floor like a dog. Aloysius Crouch ended the curse, and Nott got up with an annoyed expression.

"You are too weak!" stated Crouch coldly. "Fight it! Imperio!" The curse slammed into Nott again, eyes turning blank. Nott jerked defiantly for a second before he smoothly kneeled and kissed Crouch's feet.

Harry stayed in the room, watching Crouch put the unforgivable on each one of the five Slytherins in an unsuccessful attempt to teach them how to throw it off. "You are too weak in your mind," scolded Crouch as Malfoy emerged from the curse – flustered as he realized what he had been made to do.

Harry never interrupted during the entire session but stayed hidden, watching. Not until half an hour later did Crouch lower his wand and stare at them with contempt. "You are pathetic! None of you managed to throw it off, not even fight it. If an enemy puts this on you, you are done for. Controlling your mind is the key to survive."

Harry didn't bother to stay any longer and started to back out from the room. He had just reached the door when he heard Crouch's voice. "We'll meet here on Sunday, no excuses!" Quickly he got outside and soundlessly shut the door behind him. He made sure he had gotten an adequate distance from the door before he cancelled his invisibility. It wouldn't do to run into Dumbledore or anyone while shrouded in advanced enchantments.

He had only taken two steps before he could hear the door open. He didn't turn around but wasn't the least surprised when the echo from Crouch's footsteps followed him.

Harry suddenly took a step to the left and neatly avoided the purple spell which flew past him and slammed into the stone wall. Slowly he turned around and deftly lifted his wand at Crouch. "Nice try," he said in a bored voice. He ignored the way his magic seemed to stir at the prospect of a fight and how he so badly wanted to duel the seventh year Slytherin. He longed for adventure and the thrill of danger.

_But not now, can't draw suspicions_, he thought disheartened and gripped his wand harder.

"Aren't you hard to hit, little Gryffindor," said Crouch mockingly as he stared intently at Harry. He made to take a step towards him but Harry raised his wand warningly.

"I should report you to Professor McGonagall. You'd be expelled for attacking another student."

"It would be your word against mine. But I don't think you'll go to McGonagall," said Crouch and took a step closer, despite Harry's wand. "No, if you would you'd already done so. You're hiding something… something you don't want the teachers to find out," he trailed off and stared speculatively at Harry.

Harry didn't like Crouch's insinuation at all. But even if Crouch had his suspicions, Harry doubted that they were anywhere near the truth. "I'm not the only one who has secrets," he said and let his gaze flicker briefly to the door behind them.

Crouch cool façade cracked for a second and Harry could see fear and uncertainty. _As_ _he should; he knows that the Unforgivables are a lifetime in Azkaban,_ thought Harry. For a moment Harry could see indecision in his face. The temptation to attack Harry flickered in his eyes. Harry didn't give him a chance to come to a decision because he flicked his wand and yelled for good measure, "Confundus!"

To his credit, Crouch managed to raise his wand, but the shield charm came too late and the Confundus spell hit him.

Crouch stumbled and looked behind him before staring at Harry confusedly. "He went that way," said Harry helpfully and pointed down the corridor. Crouch nodded and started down the corridor.

Harry didn't wait for Crouch to disappear before he too continued his way. He had just turned around a corner when he heard Crouch swearing in the distance. Smirking, Harry sped up and reached Gryffindor common room.

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"And make sure you rest for at least an hour, otherwise the potions won't be as effective," called Madame Pomfrey as Ron left the hospital wing accompanied by Harry. Ron felt rather lightheaded from the headache potions he had taken when not having a headache.

"It's not dangerous taking a potion when you don't really need it?" he asked worriedly.

Harry shook his head. "No, it's only dangerous if you take too much of it. You know, getting addicted," he reassured.

When they were safely away from the hospital wing, Ron stopped leaning against Harry and hastily set off towards the fourth floor. "This is brilliant!" said Ron excitedly and almost skipped as he went. "We have almost an hour for the first part; it should be more than enough!"

"I didn't thought you would be so hyper about this," commented Harry, quickening his stroll to keep up with Ron.

"Well I am. I'm doing something no one in my family thought me capably of," he said giddily.

"They never thought you capable of controlling fire or amassing the greatest light werewolf army in history," Harry pointed out.

"Bah, those were mere necessities, results of actions out of my control – **this** is pure mastery!"

Harry laughed and patted Ron on his shoulder. "We have to pull it off first, love."

"And that is going to be the difficult part," came Hermione's voice from an alcove in front of them. She stepped out and held out a satchel.

"So you got away then?" asked Harry as Ron over-enthusiastically rubbed his hands together and let off a satisfied humming noise.

"I don't get why your so excited about this. It's just a prank," said Hermione exasperatedly and turned to answer Harry's question, "Yes I got away, I couldn't believe what I was doing – using a beyond-advanced illusion charm to sneak away for a prank," she said, but despite her words, they could detect the excitement in her voice.

"See it like practice," said Harry and took the satchel and started to rummage around. He took out a couple of vials and dumped the rest of its contents on the floor. At the same time, Hermione raised a couple of privacy charms around them.

Harry distributed the different vials, and they quickly downed them. With mounting anticipation they watched the changes and quickly prepared themselves.

"Okay accomplices; phase one commences now," said Ron and their faces morphed.

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The sound of the bell ringing worked as an alarm clock for those unfortunate students in History of magic. Rose, who had been using her arm as a pillow, blinked and yawned before sluggishly getting up and collecting her stuff. Neville, who had been doodling away on a paper and therefore slightly more awake, was already outside the door.

"Hey Nev! Wait for me!" she called and hastily ran after him, almost running into Hermione on the way. The collision was prevented by Rose, who reflexively skirted around the other Gryffindor by jumping over the table to avoid touching the other. "Sorry!" she called back and caught up with Neville. "You could have waited for me," she said grumpily.

"I did," said Neville and continued in a miserable voice, "That was the most boring lesson so far. Why, **why** do we have to hear about the chieftains of the Wizards' council?"

"Beats me, but it'll come on the exams so I hope your notes are good."

"My notes! I thought it was your turn to take notes!" cried Neville suddenly and rounded on her.

"I took notes last week, remember," said Rose and narrowed her eyes at Neville. "Lestrange had turned your hands into twigs, so I took your turn. You were scribbling at something so I thought you'd remembered."

"Erhm… I wasn't really taking notes," said Neville sheepishly and showed her the paper he had been doodling on. Two lines touched the subject of Wizards' council. The rest was just scribbled prank plans and a list of words that rhymed with "Snape".

Rose scowled at him and started towards the Great Hall. "If I fail History of magic now, it's gonna be all your fault," she proclaimed dramatically.

"How can one lesson succeed to fail you when three years of continuously sleeping-in-lessons hasn't," asked Neville indignantly. "And if you care so much about your grade, you can ask Hermione if you can copy her notes," said Neville but was distracted with yelling from around the corner.

"You mean, **you** will ask Hermione," started Rose but was too distracted as the yelling around the corner became discernable.

"Wow! Did you see that? It definitely moved! Look!"

Rose and Neville barely glanced at each other before they hastened round the corner, eager to catch a glimpse of whatever was moving.

Crash!

Rose came to an abrupt halt as a small body slammed into her, and she grabbed hold of a pair of shoulders to steady herself. She looked at the one who had ran into her and gaped. It was a small boy, who, judging by the size, probably was a first year, but that wasn't what had her flabbergasted.

He had brown curly hair, blue eyes and a big smile, which revealed the loss of a milky tooth. He was dressed in muggle clothes with jeans and a t-shirt with the Manchester United logo.

"Oh sorry," he said sheepishly and jumped back. He seemed to take a closer look at them, for he asked curiously, "Why are you dressed like that?"

Rose and Neville, along with their classmates, who had assumed he was a muggleborn first year (they sometimes dressed like muggles during weekends) all stared disbelievingly at the boy who still staring at them with wide-eyed curiosity.

"It's our robes," said Neville finally when it was apparent that no one else would volunteer an answer.

"Oh, okay. Do you live here?" was his next question, and by now the students started to piece things together.

Dean stepped forward and stared the boy up and down. "You are a muggle," he stated. The boy's blank stare only seemed to increase this notion. "How did you get here?"

The boy didn't get a chance to answer because a strict voice suddenly called out.

"Luke! Don't run away like that! This place is too big for us to run around searching for you!" A woman with brown hair, glasses and a generous amount of lipstick stormed up to them and grabbed the boy. She had colorful clothes and a red wind jacket with the words Essex county council on it. In her hand she had a camera as well as a water bottle.

"Muggles!" whispered one in the crowd as the students stared at the muggles. An older man with a round stomach came out from boys' bathroom, he too wearing muggle clothes as well as a tourist guide.

"It wasn't my fault, mum," assured the boy and tried to twist from his mother's grip.

"Apologize to the girl," the muggle mum ordered sternly.

"I already did, mum!" complained the boy, and turned towards the man. "Dad! Did you see the paintings! They move!"

"Yeah I saw, must be some kind of TV-screen." The man said as he struggled to fold the map. "Honey, I still think we should try to find the information desk; we still haven't paid our tickets," he continued, turning to the woman.

"You're right. Hey, do you know how to get to the information desk?" she asked the Hogwarts students who mutely shook their heads. "A souvenir shop then?" Again a shake of the head, but this time someone in the back whispered, "Someone go and get a teacher!"

"Oh…thanks anyway, I guess we'll find it." With that they continued past them and around the corner. The boy's thrilled shouting echoing in the hall. "Wow, look at the armor, it definitely moved!"

"Honey I think the camera is uncharged – I can't switch it on." Came the woman's voice before a loud grinding noise was heard cutting of all the sounds.

"What the hell was that!" said Seamus disbelievingly.

"How did they get in here?"

"I thought muggles couldn't even see Hogwarts!"

"Don't you think we should follow them to make sure they don't fall when the stairs move or something?" asked a Hufflepuff worriedly. His friends nodded and three of them broke off to follow the muggles.

However, they never found the muggles, who seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

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"It's true professor, we saw muggles on our way from History of magic," insisted Neville. He and the rest of the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff students who had been to History of magic had found the deputy headmistress.

"Mr Longbottom, it is impossible for muggles to even see Hogwarts. How would they manage to enter the castle?" she said to them in a firm voice, causing the students to squirm, but they didn't back down however. Neville was just about to make another attempt at convincing her when a second year Ravenclaw appeared.

"Professor there are muggles on the second floor," she yelled, excited to be the bringer of such scandalous news.

McGonagall stopped for a second before she sighed and turned to the Ravenclaw. "Miss Dawlish, could you be so kind as to show me the muggles?" The girl nodded, but before they could head for the stairs, Filch's voice cut trough the air.

"Muggles! There are muggles in the Owlery!" he screeched irately and skidded to a stop in front of McGonagall. "Muggles! I saw them when I was about to clean. I will not have it!" he spat, his hair flying about him.

"Are they still in the Owlery?" asked McGonagall, now concerned.

"Yes, I asked them what they were doing, and they said looking at the view," said Filch in a voice that said what he thought of such a statement. "I left Mrs. Norris to guard the owls and keep an eye on the trespassers."

McGonagall nodded gratefully, not feeling it pertinent to mention the decades old feud Mrs. Norris and the owls had going.

"Thank you Argus." She turned to the students, "I believe the bell rang over five minutes ago, everyone to your classes."

"But professor? Don't you need help looking for the muggles?" asked Rose.

"No Miss Potter, the teachers will be able to handle it. Off you go." And with that she and Filch hurried away.

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The news of the muggles spread like wildfire in Hogwarts that day, and in the afternoon, everyone, even their foreign guests, had heard of the three tourists. Peculiarly enough, no one seemed to be able to locate them. The teachers all tried, but by the time they arrived in the Great Hall, kitchen, Ravenclaw common room, library or wherever they had been reportedly seen, they had disappeared again.

That's not to say that no one saw them. Matthew Black was asked if there were any good restaurants in the area. In true Marauder spirit, he directed them to the kitchen, never once thinking he should take them to McGonagall. A seventh year Ravenclaw got the dubious pleasure of trying to explain why all the staircases moved and managed to do so admiringly without once mentioning the word magic. The Lestrange twins just happened upon them in an abandoned corridor and saw it as their duty to remove the pariahs from Hogwarts. Most curiously though, the spell they had used unexplainably rebounded back and hit them instead.

Dumbledore had been checking the wards to see if he could find the muggles, Sirius and James had tried to find them, not to mention every single student in Hogwarts. In the end, it was Snape who found them. Or rather they found Snape.

"Wow! A real dungeon! Do you think they have real prisoners down here?" an excited voice asked, and Snape turned around in time to see the boy that had had the entire school worked up all day.

In his head, he cursed the fates that had brought the muggles to just his office as he slowly added shards from an ashwinder egg and stirred the potion with a gold covered ladle. Now it would boil violently for twelve hours – more than enough to deal with some muggles.

"What are you doing here?" he asked icily as he stepped out in the sight of the muggles. The two adults stopped, but the boy tried to sneak into the potions lab. Snape deftly grabbed him at the scruff of his neck and dropped him to the ground in front of him.

"This is private property," he informed them harshly. The boy shrank back and muttered something that sounded insolent. Snape turned his attention to the adults, who seemed apologetic, but somehow he couldn't help but feel that they were silently laughing at him. Then he recalled that muggles weren't used to seeing people in robes, so he pushed it aside.

"Private property?" asked the man, surprised, and held up the travel guide. "Isn't this Balmort castle?"

"No, this is Hogwarts castle," said Snape through clenched teeth, ignoring the boy's snort at the name. He threw one last glance toward his office, where his potion was still boiling, before spinning around. "Come on," he ordered, "I'll take you to the deputy headmistress."

"Headmistress? So this is a school? I was so sure it was a museum; all the paintings and the costumes," said the woman and waved over the interior of the dark corridor for emphasis. "But then again, I should have suspected something; we never found the information desk or even a souvenir shop."

Snape didn't bother staying to listen, so he simply just turned around and started walking. Only just before reaching the stairs did he turn around and snap at them to keep up. It wouldn't do to have them disappear again.

They reached McGonagall's office and, by a stroke of luck, managed to catch her just as she stepped outside.

"Minerva! I found your wayward muggles," called Snape and gestured to the three behind him.

"Muggles?" asked the man, confused.

"Thanks Severus," said McGonagall gratefully to Snape who, equally grateful, turned around to get back to his cauldron. Minerva's next words made him pause though. "How did you manage to enter this castle?" she asked the muggles.

"I'm sorry if we have trespassed or anything," started the man for good measure. "But we honestly didn't see any signs. We just saw this great ruin and Luke said he wanted to explore, so we did."

"And when we got close, we saw this huge castle, it was so weird; we hadn't even seen it from the road!" said the boy.

"You didn't felt compelled to go somewhere else?" asked McGonagall horrified.

"No…well, I wanted to go back to the car and get our lunch, but these two wouldn't let me," sad the woman with a small laugh and as she motioned to the two males.

"I don't understand. There are strong muggle repellent wards on the castle. The magic can't have faded!" exclaimed McGonagall and looked to Snape as if he had the answer.

The three muggles stared at her in confusion, before the woman kindly asked, "Are you feeling well miss?"

"Yes, I'm fine, why don't you step into my office so we can sort out this mess," she offered and opened her door. The muggles stared uneasily at each other when the boy suddenly shouted, "Oh look at that!" and promptly took off down the corridor. Neither McGonagall nor Snape caught the relieved look that was exchanged between the two adults before they set out after the boy.

"Luke! Come back here now!" shouted the man.

"Don't worry, we'll be back as soon we catch him!" called the woman and they disappeared.

The boy, twenty steps ahead, looked back and nodded towards the adults and determinedly took a left turn.

At the same time, Dumbledore was walking down the corridor, talking absentmindedly to a portrait of a sixteenth century wizard in a wig, who walked through the portraits to keep up with the headmaster. He was quite unprepared for the small boy who skidded round the corner and slammed headfirst into his stomach. Dumbledore stumbled against the wall and looked bewildered towards the source of the surprise.

"Sorry!" called the boy back, never slowing down. If anything, he seemed to run even quicker. The two adults ran past him two seconds later, also with shouted apologies but never slowing down.

The headmaster stared after them, blinked, and made a move to follow them when his potions master came sprinting after them, robes flying behind him, making him look like a giant bat.

Dumbledore's lips twitched.

Only a few steps behind now, Snape doubled his efforts to catch up to the muggles. Raising his wand, he was just about to cast a leg-locking curse when they turned around a corner. Swearing, he followed, barely noticing a strange "poofing" sound. Huffing and panting, Snape skidded around the corner and saw – nothing.

He stopped abruptly and stared, baffled, around the empty corridor. There was nothing there – except for…

Slowly Snape walked up to the vanishing cabinet, which stood alone along the wall. In apprehension, he opened the door, futilely hoping he would find three muggles hiding inside.

It was empty.

Snape swore and slammed the door shut. Albus wouldn't like this.

At the same time, far away from the first floor, three muggles had just appeared from a burst of fire. They happily congratulated themselves to a successful escape, and rationed out three bottles.

They all downed their bottles and the three muggles started to change…

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The appearance of the muggles had the castle buzzing for days, it even managed to overshadow the tournament. And the best thing, as Ron had said two days later, was that no one even knew that they had been pranked. Snape, whom they had been worried might find out, seemed content to pretend the whole thing never happened. McGonagall on the other hand had devoted twenty minutes in all her classes to tell her students what to do when encountering a muggle in Hogwarts next time.

There was only one person who seemed to have guessed that something was afoul, and that had been Dumbledore. But as Harry smugly had said, he could never guess who had been behind it. They had been too careful.

So in the end the prank was only revealed to four persons…

"You did what!" squealed Ginny. Distracted, she lowered her wand, and the paper plane she had been levitating around the room sank to the floor.

"The muggles yesterday – that was us," said Ron with a smirk.

"All of it...? How could you…" started Neville, flabbergasted, but he was saved by Rose.

"Prove it," she ordered breathlessly.

"Hermione played the woman with some help with an aging potion," added Harry quickly, forestalling their questions.

"Harry played the man, again with the help of an aging potion and some hair-coloring potion and other things. Ron played the boy with an appearance-changing potion," said Hermione, omitting to mention that it had been a poly-juice potion.

"So the boy who crashed into me was you!" said Rose and stared at Ron like she had never seen him before. Ron nodded, and Rose ruefully shook her head. "I never had even the faintest suspicion that it wasn't just a boy. You were just too…"

"Hermione helped us with the muggle stuff, so we wouldn't bungle up," explained Ron.

"But still, how come none of the teachers found out," said Neville, bewildered, "Heck, you were even talking to McGonagall!"

"And Snape. I heard him complain to Flitwick," said Matthew and continued disbelievingly, "How could you fool Snape? He always knows when you lie!"

"That's how good we are," said Harry self-satisfied.

"So is the prank good enough? We fooled the entire school and got away with it," said Hermione with a small smile as she watched their astonished faces.

"We have to call a board meeting," said Matthew and dragged his friends with him.

Ron and Hermione took the opportunity to lean closer to each other where they were sitting on Harry's bed. Harry was leaning against the bedpost, letting his eyes drifting over the room, occasionally watching the Lions' Pride trying to agree. After a few minutes they returned, but Ron and Hermione didn't bother to get away from each other – a fact that was noticed by the others.

"The distinguished members of the Lions' pride have come to a consensus," started Matthew but was interrupted by Rose.

"It was an awesome prank brother!" shouted Rose excitedly and hugged him around his shoulder at the same time ruffling his hair. "I don't even think we would have been able to pull it off as you did."

"It was a good prank, Harry-Larry," said Matthew, his sincere voice showing that he didn't mean the jibe. "I didn't think you three had it in you."

"Of course he has; he's my brother!" said Rose and Ginny at the same time.

"So we get a chance to have the map?" asked Ron, unperturbed by the other's excitement, but Harry and Hermione could see the small smile on his lips.

"Yes of course; a deal is a deal," said Rose and disappeared to the girls' dormitory. A few minutes later, she returned with the old map in her hand. She handed it over and started to say, "To unlock it you…" but Harry held up his hand.

"I know." He tapped the map with his wand and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The map appeared and all seven of them leaned forward to study the map. For a short while Harry felt it as if he had something in common with the youngsters – they were all rule-breakers, now sharing a common secret – as if having a secret order. Harry snorted at the ridiculous idea. _What would it be? The Order of the Map?_

Rose heard his snort and looked up at him. "Maybe we shouldn't have made a prank your trial of initiation. Maybe you will now outclass us in the pranking field," she said with a half-smile.

"Not going to happen. We did it out of necessity, you do it out of passion," said Harry. "You are better than us," he said sincerely.

"And don't you forget it," she added playfully and folded the map. She held it out to Harry, who shook his head, "We don't need it. You can keep it for now."

She smiled a little bit too happily and hid the map in her robes before exiting the room. Before they all left, Ginny called back to them, "Don't forget to take the glory for it; you can't let a prank like this pass without letting people know you tricked them," she said with a wink and disappeared.

Harry slid down the bedpost and landed with a huff on the bed. In the corner of his eye he could see Hermione and Ron kissing. _Must have pounced on each other the second the Pride was out the door._ Almost without thinking, he wandlessly erected a privacy ward and rolled around so he faced them.

"This was the first time in my life that I pranked someone," he said in a plain voice.

Ron and Hermione stopped their kissing and turned to Harry. "You know, I think it was the first time for me too," said Ron, thinking hard.

"Sad really… we are, what? 21?"

"Hard to tell. I mean, wouldn't it be twenty-one plus thirteen," said Ron, causing Harry to snort.

"You never pranked anyone Mione?" asked Harry as he crawled on his elbows to lay with his upper body over Ron's crossed legs.

"You know me," answered Hermione with a small smile. "Pranking was not part of my reality."

"Imagine what a terror we could have unleashed on Hogwarts with your brains," said Ron as he played around with Harry's hair. It had grown quite long he noted absentmindedly.

"When? Between Dark Lord hunting, exams, crazy DADA teachers, Quidditch, romance and drama?" snorted Harry.

"I would never have let you do it," said Hermione and kissed Harry on his forehead. "I would have reported you to straight to McGonagall," she said teasingly.

"Sure you had. Still it's nice to have done it. It was a thrill, wasn't it," said Ron happily and grabbed Harry in his arms and threw himself back on the bed. Harry floppily got dragged along and bounced on Ron's chest before pinning Ron down with his elbows.

"I liked the thrill, but I don't want to do it again," said Harry, and when Ron opened his mouth to inquire why, Harry leaned down and kissed him.

Harry smiled into the kiss. He could feel Ron's body move underneath him. Could feel his heartbeat, thumping in pace with his own. His foot touched Hermione's leg, herself not participating in the kiss but being present – sharing it nonetheless. Ron's hands moved up over his shoulders and grabbed his cheeks, and Harry opened his eyes that had closed on their own accord. Ron's blue eyes, _Ron's beautiful sky blue eyes_, gazed back at him, and Harry felt his heart swell. It was so full of happiness. Happiness over having Ron here. Happiness that Harry was the one that those blue eyes looked at with love. Happiness that those eyes belonged to him. Him alone…

Harry turned slowly and found Hermione's eyes looking at them. Brown eyes. Beautiful chocolate brown eyes. He sat up, causing Ron's body to tense, but his focus was on Hermione as he held out his arms for her. She didn't hesitate and fell into his arms. Her face arched up, and Harry lightly touched his forehead against her. She closed her eyes, and Harry kissed her.

A few minutes later they laid, limbs hopelessly entangled together, in a heap on Harry's bed, blissful contentment coursing through them all like a high. Hermione couldn't understand how she had ever felt discontented with her boys. There was nothing in this world that could give this much happiness.

Ron gave a content sigh and leaned closer to Harry, who still held his hand in an iron grip. _What wouldn't I give to be able to stay here all evening?_ _Just to skip the Halloween feast._ Hermione seemed to have the same thoughts, for a few minutes later she said, speaking right up to the bed's ceiling, "Let's stay. They won't miss us at the feast."

Ron made an agreeing noise, but Harry sat up in the bed. "We can't," he said in an apologetic voice. "Today's the election of the champions. We need to be there."

The good thing about being three was that there was always someone to be the responsible_. And trust Harry to be the one knowing when duty is required_, thought Ron subdued as Harry detangled himself from Ron and Hermione. He squeezed Ron's hand briefly before letting go and starting to sort out his crumpled clothes.

"Could you open the door please Harry?" asked Hermione as she too started to get up, at the same time prodding Ron to do the same.

Harry nodded unseen and turned around. As he approached the door, he could feel the hum of several wards on the door. He wasn't surprised. Hermione must have cast the enchantments before they started their little tussle. _That's the good thing with being three,_ thought Harry. _There is always someone who remembers things like that_. Lifting his wand, he easily went about lifting the four wards.

The moment a silencing ward was lifted, loud hammering on the door reverberated trough the room, startling Ron and Hermione, who instinctively jumped up from the bed before they recognized the sound. Harry quickly set about lifting the last ward and the door banged open.

Seamus was the first one to enter. He must have been leaning against the door seeing how he stumbled and almost fell on his face. Dean was the second one in, looking irate. "Bloody hell! You locked the door?" he accused and pointed angrily at them.

Harry only shrugged and Dean continued, "There are others living here too! You have no right to lock the door! We have been waiting for half an hour!"

"I'm sorry," said Hermione as she stepped up to stand beside Harry, who was in the line of the fire.

"And you have the least right of all to be here – this is the boy's dormitory! Ron, if you want to snog your girlfriend, you do it somewhere else!"

"The Halloween feast starts in half an hour. We were just about to get McGonagall," said Seamus as he hurried to his bed.

At the same time, Neville entered and called over to Seamus, "Hey Seamus! How did the door open?"

"Ask them," said Seamus grumpily and pointed to the trio. "Those idiots locked it, forgetting that we live here too!"

"We're sorry okay, we forgot about the time okay!" cried Ron indignantly and threw up his arms in the air. Seamus just huffed and grabbed his towel and disappeared into the bathroom. He closed the door just as Dean showed up with his towel.

"Seamus, I was number one for the shower," he shouted as he pounded on the door. "…you double crossing…you better hurry up! No half-hour sessions, I need to take a shower too!"

"What were you doing anyway?" asked Neville as he too started changing his clothes, not bothering with taking a shower. Dean was still stalking outside the bathroom, and knowing those two, there would be no time for anyone else to shower.

"You know, stuff, telling embarrassing secrets. Things we don't want anyone to hear, hence the wards," said Harry with an embarrassed laugh for effect.

"What kind of wards did you use? We asked Cresswell – you know, the seventh year – and not even he could lift the wards."

"Just some wards I found in a book somewhere… I could give you the notes someday," offered Hermione before hesitating a second and then, with a rebellious look at Dean, kissed Ron on the lips. She winked at Harry and sang in a girly voice, "Well, I need to get ready. See you at the feast boys." And with that she skipped down the steps and out of view.

_Since when did Hermione act like Lavender? _

"I can't believe Weasley has a girlfriend," groaned Neville and stared at Ron with a despondent expression. "How come you have a girlfriend when I don't?"

"Tough luck mate," grinned Ron. "I guess your celebrity status falls short when up against my dazzling masculinity," he said and flexed his muscles, causing Harry to snort. _Only Ron would describe masculinity with the word "dazzling."_

Neville's face lost all traces of unhappiness when he saw Ron's big biceps.

"Wow, how'd you get muscles like that!"

"Practicing. Do a few push-ups… well a lot of push-ups, add some running, sit-ups," said Ron sincerely as he studied Neville's muscle-lacking body. Well, he seemed to have a few muscles from Quidditch training, but not nearly enough.

"You do all that?"

"Yeah, every morning before breakfast," answered Ron as Harry went back to his own bed, only listening with half an ear as he summoned his shoes.

"That's what you do when you disappeared some mornings," asked Neville disbelievingly. He seemed to struggle for a second before asking, "Can I come?"

Ron glanced over at Harry, who had looked up as he heard Neville's question. Seeing Ron's questioning look, he shrugged. He honestly didn't mind, and he knew it might be good for Neville.

"Why not, as long as you keep up," said Ron and held out his hand to Neville, who shook it. "I'll even wake you up the first time," he added playfully to Neville, who smiled weakly.

"You're doing it too?" he asked Harry who nodded.

"Yeah, and don't worry, Hermione is too so you won't end up too far behind."

"Hermione hates it when we tease her about her training," warned Ron.

"What she doesn't know doesn't hurt her," answered Harry unconcernedly.

"Only if she doesn't know. You know how I let my mouth run ahead of me," said Ron in an equally bland tone.

Harry rolled his eyes and tapped Ron's nose with his wand. "Come on now Dazzling boy, before you say something stupid." At his words, Ron's nose and cheeks started to sparkle as if sprinkled with some witch make-up powder.

"See you later Neville," called Harry as he went down the stairs, batting away Ron's question of, "How do **you** know a spell that conjures **glitter**!"

"No Harry," said Hermione.

"Hagrid said…" started Harry but was interrupted by Hermione.

"What Hagrid said is not important. He thinks a dragon makes a good pet for Merlin's sake!"

"I think you are being unreasonable," said Harry in a flat voice rather than having it turn into a whine. He would not whine. "Ron?" he asked and turned expectantly to his boyfriend.

Ron on the other hand slowly swallowed his blueberry muffin and carefully looked from Harry's expectant face and Hermione's threatening scowl. And promptly looked to the head table and said in an excited voice, "Look, it seems like Dumbledore finally has finished his dessert!"

"Ron," sighed Harry but nevertheless quieted down and looked up towards the head table were Dumbledore stood up.

The Halloween feast had gone agonizingly slow. Even though they knew exactly what was going to happen, Harry couldn't help but feel nervous and had thus tried to distract himself. Engaging in an argument with Hermione over the Basilisk hatchlings for the umpteenth time had done the trick.

Harry was not the only one who had thought the feast proceeded with the speed of a history of magic lesson. All students in the hall had been anxiously waiting, craning their necks and whispering to each other. Fred and George, now clean-shaven, were finishing up their betting pool, displaying their Gryffindor courage in doing it right under McGonagall's nose.

Harry had been betting together with Ron, massing together their few savings. Fleur, Krum and Cedric would be champions. Ron had whispered to Harry that the twins were certain to use Neville's election as a way of wriggling out of paying up. But they had decided to go with it anyway. Showing too much knowledge would be detrimental to their cause and as Hermione said; the twins needed all the money they could get to start their shop.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the front of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber," he indicated the door behind the staff table, "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

Harry looked at the rest of the head table. Headmaster Tokovsky was altering between smiling at his students and glaring at the goblet. Bagman was smiling worse than Lockhart. Fudge seemed to offer commentary to headmistress Maxime, who seemed to barely hear him, focusing completely on the goblet.

Reflexively Harry looked at Moody/Crouch and couldn't help but feel uneasy. He didn't fear the man, not at all, but what the man was representing. What he was putting into motion.

Crouch was staring unwaveringly at Neville.

Dumbledore waved his wand, and all the candles, except those in the pumpkins, were extinguished – plunging the hall into semi-darkness.

The goblet flared to life, and in a show of flames, a piece of parchment flew out. Dumbledore deftly caught it and a second later called out, "The champion for Durmstrang will be Victor Krum!"

The hall exploded in applause, and from the end of Gryffindor table, where the Durmstrang students sat together with the seventh years, Krum stood up and walked up to the head table. He shook hands with Dumbledore and nodded once toward his headmaster before disappearing into the small backroom.

"I told you Fred!" said Ron smugly and turned to the twins. "Victor Krum is the champion; pay up."

"That was a given," snorted George but the two of them discreetly leaned over a parchment, scribbling down something.

The goblet flared again and the second parchment came out and Fleur was declared the Beauxbaton champion.

The anticipation in the air became almost tangible as hundreds of Hogwarts students breathlessly waited for the goblet to announce their champion.

In another show of sparks and flames, the third name delivered and Dumbledore caught it. Harry could swear that he was being slow on purpose as he turned the note over.

"Cedric Diggory!"

The hall erupted in cheers and applause, the Hufflepuff table being the loudest, but the other houses didn't hold in on their support. Cedric stood up, an overwhelmed but happy expression on his face, as he waved to his fellow Hufflepuffs and disappeared into the small room.

Harry, who had watched Cedric with almost hypnotic fervor, couldn't help but feel the heavy weight of fate. Dark intentions were set in motion today. Harry looked at Crouch, who was now staring at the goblet. Cedric's death was not of any great importance in the scheme of things, just a casualty of war. But the trio had gotten this chance of setting things right. They would save him. They had to. The future wasn't set in stone. At least he hoped so.

Dumbledore allowed the energetic chatter to remain for a short moment before beckoning for silence. "Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real…"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him.

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out, "Neville Longbottom!"

Bizarrely, Harry's first reaction was to laugh. Nervous, hysterical laughter bubbled up his throat, and he viciously beat it down. This was not a laughing matter! But no matter how serious the situation, he couldn't help but find it hilarious. Everyone was silent in shock and disbelief. And he had known this would happen. They had waited for it. Neville was looking confused and wary. It was just so surreal.

"It plays out according to plans," said Ron darkly, and Harry's mirth disappeared quicker than it had come. He knew what he had feared. He had known whose name would come out from the goblet, there hadn't been a doubt. But still... he had feared that his name would be called. That despite the insignificant role he had in this dimension, he would be called upon to yet again assume his duty. _Completely irrational_. But still the relief was so great, hence the out of place amusement.

Everything was going to play out again. It had already started, and what had they done about it? Nothing! Just stood at the side – watching. Neville was now trapped in this nefarious scheme, just like Harry had been so many years ago.

He felt nauseous.

He didn't quite notice what happened next, barely registering Neville getting up. The hostile murmurs. It could have been him that was called up. It could have been him who would face the tasks and then the graveyard. _But it wasn't_, a voice said in his head. But it did little to comfort him. It was now Neville who got to face this burden, and Neville was even more unprepared for it than Harry had been. Poor Neville. But if given the chance to switch places with Neville, Harry wasn't sure he would. The relief was still too great. He wasn't called upon. He wasn't the chosen one. The utmost responsibility didn't rest with him this time.

He was so relieved.

Dimly he noticed Hermione grabbing hold of his arm and pulling him up. Unresisting he followed her, feeling Ron taking up the rear.

He felt so drained. He hadn't known how much he had feared this.

They crossed the Entrance Hall. Stopped to wait for a staircase. The buzz of Gryffindor whispers filled his ears. Ron positioned himself between Harry and his classmates, to avoid startling Harry in his contemplative mood.

The responsibility wouldn't be his again. He still had the duty to help, but the savior job wasn't his.

The stairs moved, and they continued towards the Gryffindor common room.

"Are you feeling well Mr. Potter?" McGonagall appeared in front of them. Harry looked up, his face carefully blank as it had been the last ten minutes.

_Who am I kidding? I know who I am…_

"I'm fine professor, just had too much of the dessert," he said in a carefully constructed voice.

_I would switch with Neville if given the chance. I wouldn't put him through that. _

"Then I suggest you head straight to bed. It's been a long day today," she suggested and nodded sharply to them.

_I have a hero complex after all. It's my duty. My destiny._

"Yes professor," he answered dully and mindlessly gave the password to the fat lady. He disappeared into the portrait hole, McGonagall already far from his thoughts. Only Ron and Hermione noticed McGonagall stay behind and watch them with a fond smile before she too continued on her way.

As they quickly followed Harry, they found themselves in a swarming common room. It seemed that every single Gryffindor was there, crammed in the sofas, sitting on the tables, in circles on the floor – and everyone was chatting excitedly. When that entered all heads snapped to them but turned away instantly when they saw who it was.

They caught sight of Harry on his way to the boys' dorm and quickly followed him. On their way, they passed the Lions' Pride who was leaning close together and whispering to each other in low harsh whispers.

It was dark in the dorm, and Harry hadn't bothered to light the lights. Instead they found him sitting on the bed, a far away expression on his face. As they sat down around him, Harry heaved a long shivering breath.

"It wasn't me," was the only thing he said. He didn't need to say anything else, for they understood. Even if the weariness and relief in his voice hadn't clued them in, they would have known.

Ron folded his arms around Harry in a strong embrace, and Harry briefly closed his eyes. The weariness remained as did the newly stirred up feelings, but he felt safer now. More grounded.

He opened his eyes and managed a half-smile. "We are indestructible, right?"

"Damn right," said Ron, a bit thrown at Harry's unexpected words.

"We won't fall from the inside," said Hermione with uncharacteristic fervor and continued, "and we are way too powerful for anyone to best us."

"Arrogance," asked Harry, amused.

"Truth," countered Hermione lazily. Ron barked a laugh behind them but abruptly became quiet and twisted his head towards the door. Harry and Hermione followed his motion and after a while could hear voices from just outside the door. Angry voices.

"You broke the rules, Neville; no secrets," said a voice that sounded like Matthew.

"I'm telling the truth!" came Neville's voice.

"You don't have to lie to us; you know that we would have kept our mouths shut. We haven't had any secrets from each other since we were four years old! We had agreed on that if anyone was about to try it, we would do it together."

"I didn't put my name in the goblet!"

"And still you are the champion."

It was silent after that, and Harry could easily imagine the members of the Lion's pride glaring at each other. Or rather three of its members glaring at Neville.

"You know Neville, we have had put up with your fame for as long as we have known each other. We have known that because you are the boy-who-lived, you get special treatment, but…" said Rose's voice.

"But if you betray the Pride Neville, expect no special treatment from us," continued Ginny.

The door was suddenly thrown open, and Neville stalked inside, his hand still on the door handle. He turned to face them and said angrily, "Fine! Don't believe me then, it's not like I would want such lousy friends as you!" And with that he shut the door in their faces.

Jerkily he spun around and kicked the ground – hard. For a moment he stared angrily ahead before the anger melted away from his face, and he looked downright miserable. Slowly he dragged himself to his bed and sank down on it with a huff.

"We believe you Neville," said Harry to Neville, who abruptly sat up. When he found them on Harry's bed, he smiled weakly.

"Oh I didn't see you when I walked in, did you…wait, what did you say?"

"We believe you Neville. We don't think you put your name in the goblet."

"Then you are the only ones," grumbled Neville and continued in gloomy voice, "Not even my friends believed me." He trailed off into silence, and Hermione felt compelled to speak up.

"Give them time. They will come around once they understand. You are too good of friends to let anything like this get between you."

Neville just sighed and offered an unconvincing smile. "Thanks," he offered politely before closing his curtains.

Harry, Ron and Hermione didn't remain on the bed for long after that. Hermione went back to the girls' dorm, only to secretly return five minutes later, dressed in pajamas. Harry and Ron had also changed and brushed their teeth and, without much ceremony, went to bed.

That night, Harry dreamed of screams.

_Hermione's tortured screams under the cruciatus._

_Ron's anguished screams that November Thursday. Ginny! Ginny! _

_Neville's raging screams, fury beyond comprehension._

_Bellatrix's shrill yells. Crucio! Crucio! Avada Kedavra!_

_That little girl's shocked screams. Blaring like a siren over the destroyed neighborhood._

_Arinda Fenwick's sorrowful screams. She had just lost a daughter. _

They all reverberated, again and again, overlapping each other in a cacophony of memories. Perfectly depicting the very essence of war. His past.

_Hermione's tortured screams under the cruciatus._

_Panicking screams from the flames. He wouldn't be able to save them…_

_Neville's raging screams, fury beyond comprehension._

_It's your fault he died! You told him to fight! Her face was distorted, an ugly mask of anger. _

_That little girl's shocked screams. Blaring like a siren. A belated warning._

He woke up with a gasp, frightfully disoriented for a second before he could feel Ron's elbow poking in his side.

"You okay?" came Hermione's sleepy enquiry as she put her hand soothingly on his chest.

"Yeah I'm fine," whispered Harry. There was no reply, she had already fallen back to sleep, hand still on his chest. Blinking dizzily, now that his heart had gone back to its normal pace, he fell back on his pillow.

He could still feel Ron's elbow poking him uncomfortably in his side and Hermione's hand on his chest. He listened to their breathing, unsynchronized in a harmonious way, and he felt his senses starting to dim.

Everything was calm.

Everything was quiet.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

So chapter sixteen finished, it took sometime but now it's here. I think the story is going to get a bit more eventful in two or three chapters; we have the first task, the yule ball and then Christmas. As up till now it has all followed the pattern from book for but after Christmas things will start to change and speed up.

Thanks HPlover47 for helping me. Some of these days I'll learn where to put the commas ;)


	17. Echoes of war and darkness

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The day after the champions had been chosen was a clear, if cold, one. Despite the shining sun, most of the grounds were still in the shade and patches of frost could be seen everywhere.

Harry and Ron had woken up early as usual and were quickly dressing in their running clothes.

Ron, true to his promise to wake Neville up, pulled away the curtains to the Boy-who-lived's bed. Neville was fast asleep and Ron nudged him.

"Go 'way," muttered Neville and sought to hide under his pillow. Ron was having none of it and roughly shook him. "**What** is it!" asked Neville annoyed and stuck up a bleary looking face.

"You had signed up for running today," smirked Ron.

Neville just groaned and stared miserably at Ron. "Can't I start it tomorrow?" he whined.

"Nope," said Ron with false cheer and grabbed his wrist and pulled him away from the bed. Neville stumbled but was steadied by Harry who easily grabbed his arm.

"Run with us Neville," said Harry simply and added with a small smile, "It'll take your mind off yesterday and prepare you for when you get to meet the rest of the students."

First Neville didn't know what Harry was talking about, then everything from yesterday caught up with him. The goblet. His name being called. The other champions. Moody.

His friends.

He felt like he had just been punched in the stomach – his friends hadn't believed him. He turned away from Harry and faced his bed. "I…I'm not feeling so well, I'll run with you tomorrow, okay?"

"No Neville," said Harry in a firm voice. "You will not let this beat you down, you will run with us and you will feel better." Harry waved his wand and Neville's pajamas were switched with some grey slacks and a sweatshirt. Neville gaped at the use of the nonverbal spell casting but was soon distracted by Harry and Ron who started to put on their shoes.

Neville seemed to struggle for a second but figuring that Harry and Ron wouldn't take no for an answer, started looking for his socks.

"I don't believe you though," muttered Neville as he pulled on is socks. He very much doubted that anything could make him feel better. Harry pretended he hadn't heard but Neville's next words got him to turn around. "Trevor! Not in my shoes," groaned Neville and removed the toad from where it had been sleeping. "He's always where he isn't supposed to be," complained Neville and Harry nodded, still staring contemplatively at the toad.

Ron who noticed couldn't help but to feel exasperated. _Harry and his obsessions; when he's gotten something in his head nothing can stop him – not to mention that he almost always is right too._ He went up to Harry and whispered, "You can "borrow" Neville's toad later, come on, we need to go now."

Harry nodded and seeing as Neville was ready they went down to the common room where Hermione was waiting for them. She raised her eyebrow at Neville.

"I didn't know that you would be coming today Neville, considering…" she trailed off and glanced at Harry and Ron.

"Well, Harry sort of convinced me, I'm not that good though," said Neville and rubbed his arms self-consciously.

Hermione smiled kindly and said, "That makes us two, don't worry, these two are nice enough to not make too long a lead."

Running was, in Neville's opinion, a horrible kind of torture. His legs hurt something awful, he had given his all and he never managed to keep up with Harry and Ron. Even Hermione managed to stay three steps ahead of him at all time. Quidditch training apparently wasn't enough to get fit.

But despite aching legs he felt his mood lifting, the sky was blue and it was Sunday. His good mood however, disappeared the moment he stepped inside the Great Hall.

Three hundred pair of eyes immediately found him, three hundred scrutinizing, judging eyes. The Hall grew silent and Neville stopped right at the doors, his mind screaming at him to run away but his feet hopelessly rooted to the floor.

Slowly the whispers started, eyes never leaving him. Neville swallowed and his face burned.

Then he felt a small push on his shoulder and Harry's breath in his ear. "Don't show them any fear. You know you're innocent, what they think doesn't matter," he whispered and gently but firmly guided him to the Gryffindor table. Grateful for something to distract him with he turned to Ron and Hermione. Both of them looked completely at ease, as if hundreds of people staring at them were nothing.

"Painful isn't?" asked Hermione with a sardonic smile as they sat down at the table. Neville stared incomprehensive at her. "The first couple of times is pure torture, but after that running is only very unpleasant."

"Oh yeah," he said distractedly and couldn't help to glance around the hall. He quickly looked down. He was still in the center of attention.

"I thought you were used to the attention," commented Ron as he put some porridge in his bowl.

"Sometimes…I mean….it's mostly just one or two. Someone who wants to shake my hand, or an interview. Never like this, never…" Neville trailed off and stared glumly at his bread.

"Never with dislike," finished Harry, surprising Neville. "I think it will always be like that. You're famous and thus prey to the public opinion, in a couple weeks they'll love you again."

"Doesn't help me much now," said Neville glumly and took a small nibble.

None of the three answered him and all in all looked quite unconcerned of his mood. _But_ _why should they be concerned?_ thought Neville. _It's not like we had been any great friends before this, quite the opposite._

-Neville's POV-.

The following days were some of the worst in Neville's life. Wherever he went he heard the whispers, saw the stares, felt the animosity. The Slytherins were the worst, jeering and taunting him wherever he went, the Hufflepuffs were a close second, with their low comments and cold shoulders, Ravenclaw just seemed to look down on him with disdain. The Gryffindors were the only ones who were supportive of him but they also believed that he had put his name in the goblet. His reputation as a publicity seeking prat seemed now forever cemented.

But all of this wouldn't be so bad if only he had his friends with him, but he didn't. Harry, Ron and Hermione had stayed with him, had believed him. They had cheered him up when it was clear where the public opinion laid. But they weren't his friends, they weren't his Pride.

Not to mention; they had strange habits; like the running every morning, being all friendly with the Durmstrang students, all the time spent in the library (they seemed to take great care never to reveal exactly what they were studying but Neville knew it wasn't schoolwork) and they had the most peculiar way of communicating – sometimes it was like they read each others minds. So in tune with each other were they that they were able to finish each others sentences. (Yesterday Ron had come up to Hermione and said "Do…" Hermione, not even looking up from the book she was reading, answered, "Yes, thank you. No sugar please." Ron had nodded and ten minutes later returned with a cup of coffee.)

And there where times when he wasn't sure who they were….

-Flashback-

The four of them were sitting in the common room after dinner. Harry and Ron lazily lounging on one of the sofas and for lack of anything else to do they tried to be the first to coerce Hermione's cats Crookshanks to leave its place in one of the fauteuils and go to one of them.

"Here kitty, kitty," said Harry, "You know you like me more than Ron," he said persuadingly but Crookshank simply stared disdainfully at Harry, as if Harry were something the cat's dragged in. Ron tried another method.

"Come on Crooksie." Crookshank looked absolutely mortified at the nickname and his tail waved irritated. "I've got candy," offered Ron hopefully. Crookshank turned away his head, choosing to ignore the two boys.

"When are you two going to realize that Crookshank isn't about to surrender his dignity to the likes of you?" asked Hermione from the sofa she shared with Neville. In her lap she had a book that, to Neville's eyes, looked awfully difficult.

Ron muttered something that sounded like "Bloody cat." Crookshanks' tail waved more franticly.

"So Hermione, what book are you reading?" asked Neville, looking away from Harry and Ron.

"Oh it's _The theory of magical cores and signatures and their relevance in everyday life, _by Gillifrey Oldridge."

"All of it is theory?" asked Neville, unable to keep the horror out of his voice.

"Yes," sighed Hermione. "And the language is quite old-fashioned, it was written two hundred years ago."

"But why do you read it? We don't have anything like that in our classes, do we?" asked Neville, worried that there might be an assignment he had missed.

"No but…" what ever Hermione was about to say was cut of by a piercing scream. Neville flung around just in time to see Crookshanks flying up from the sofa and towards Harry.

"HARRY!" screamed Hermione and flew up from the sofa. Crookshanks landed on Harry's lap before the spell ended and the cat escaped in an orange blur up to the girl's dorms.

"I win," said Harry smugly.

"You cheated," replied Ron.

"You…" started Hermione angrily but Harry interrupted her.

"Sorry," he offered, while smiling apologetically to her. Hermione continued to glare at him and Harry continued in a whining voice that Neville got the impression was not real; this year he had never seen Harry whine or cry, not once. "It's just that I'm bored, we have been here all afternoon. Just sitting here. Lazing around."

Neville just looked at Harry impatiently, waiting for Harry to get to the point, or for Hermione to snap and hex him (like it was rumored she had done to some Slytherins). Ron on the other hands seemed to know exactly what Harry was talking about because he was sitting up and looked at Harry with new interest in his eyes.

"What're you thinking?" Ron asked curiously.

"We should do something, maybe something really straining. Nothing magic," he added as if that made any more sense to Neville.

"Great I'm on," said Ron eagerly and stood up. "Please?" he asked pleadingly to Hermione who was still scowling at Harry.

"No, I still have schoolwork to do," said Hermione firmly.

"We can band together against Harry," added Ron persuasively, he stepped closer to her and brushed away her hair from her face before giving her a kiss.

"So they **are **a couple?" whispered Neville to Harry, who didn't look all that uncomfortable with his best friends kissing.

"Yeah, been together for a couple of months now, I feel like the third wheel," said Harry dramatically but Neville almost thought Harry was smirking as to an inside joke. But the Harry he knew never smirk.

"What about?" asked Hermione and Neville thought she glanced at him.

Harry simply answered, "We won't do too much."

Again Neville got the feeling that the conversation was being conducted above his head.

"What exactly are we gonna do?"

"Weren't you always so interested in what we did whenever we disappeared?" asked Harry teasingly and Neville grew slightly red in the face. "We will show you."

Abruptly they stood up and walked out from the common room. Outside the portrait hole they stopped and had one of their silent conversations before they started as one towards the seventh floor.

Neville watched bewildered as Harry walked back and forth in the corridor and was just about to ask what he was doing when a door appeared. Wordlessly Harry opened and they all hurried inside.

"Welcome to the Room of Requirements," said Harry with a grand gesture to the grey and rather plain looking room.

"It's very…nice," said Neville hesitantly and looked around the room, hoping to see what ever made the room so great.

"This is the Room of Requirements," explained Hermione. "It'll give you anything you want."

"Except food," inserted Ron and Hermione gave him a fond smile.

"But the room is all grey and boring," complained Neville, still failing to see what was so great about it. The grey was rather depressing; he wished it would be a happier colour.

Abruptly the room changed into a bright yellow and green. Bewildered he looked around and Hermione explained how the room worked. Then they had started their "practice" as they called it. At first when they had hinted at what they were going to do Neville had assumed that they were going to duel, never mind that that was against the rules. But he realized what they meant when Ron charged at Harry and aimed a punch at Harry's face. But Harry had expertly stepped aside and launched his own attack, and from there it just escalated.

To Neville it looked like an all out battle was being fought. He had actually screamed when Harry took a punch in the chest and fell to the floor. He even raised his wand, not knowing what to do, but wanting to do something when Hermione took hold of his arm and shook her head.

They remained watching Harry and Ron trashing each other. Neville had never seen anything like it in his life. It looked like they were hell bent on killing each other.

He winced as Ron got in a second punch. Harry retaliated by swiping him off his feet. Kick. Kick. Punch. Harry got thrown on the floor but easily rolled around and in a flash stood standing again. Kick. Kick. Punch. Dodge. Punch.

It almost looked like dance. They were constantly moving in a synchronized pattern, fluid motions mirroring each other. Quicker and quicker they moved until he no longer could distinguish any moves at all.

And then suddenly they stopped, Harry panting on the floor, Ron holding his arm in a painful lock on his back.

"I surrender!" panted Harry. Ron didn't let go but teasingly twisted his arm an inch more causing Harry to squirm and bend upwards. "I surrender! I surrender you fucking Chihuahua! Are you deaf or what!"

Ron smirked and whispered something Neville couldn't hear before releasing him and helping him up. They turned and looked at Neville who was still looking at them with awe.

"You enjoyed the show?" asked Harry. "Ron loves it, it's the only thing he can beat me in, I trash him in dueling."

"What about chess?" asked Hermione.

"And chess" conceded Harry. Neville didn't listen though; he was still staring, from the bruise that was forming on Ron's collarbone to Harry's black eye. Both seemed happy though.

"What was that! he asked. "I didn't know you could fight like that!"

"It's a lot of different fighting styles. It's dead useful when you're not allowed to use magic."

"How do you know?"

"We've ended up in a few scraps before." Smirks were exchanged at this and once again Neville felt he was left out from the conversation. "We'll tell you some day. But now! We'll show you how to do it!" said Harry.

"Um, I'm not so sure…it looked pretty dangerous, and I'm running with you every day. Isn't that enough?"

Again Neville found himself outside of the conversation as they looked at each other and for a second even had a whispered conversation. It ended with all three nodding, making Neville guess that whatever they had been discussing had been concluded.

"You have never wanted to learn how to defend yourself properly Neville?" asked Harry. "That's what we are learning." There was an intensity in Harry's eyes that Neville only had seen a few times before. He suddenly got the feeling that Harry, indeed, had an unbreakable will and spirit.

"You never wondered why we showed this place to you, a place not many in Hogwarts knows about?" asked Hermione. She too had that air of power and unyieldingness around her. They all had.

"Because we are friends?" offered Neville meekly, feeling that that most likely wasn't the right answer.

Hermione smiled kindly at him, it was a patient smile he had seen on many adults before. "That to, but mostly because we have decided to help you."

"Huh?" asked Neville bewildered.

"You are the Boy-Who-Lived Neville," said Harry in a suddenly serious voice. Neville felt three pair of eyes stare down at him, judging his worth. He sensed that there was something going on here, something that went far beyond simple afternoon workout. He felt inadequate and childish in front of them, and not for the first time he got the feeling that the three were something more than they showed. The old doubts and suspicions he had shared with his Pride, suspicions he had buried when he started to hang out with the trio, returned.

"Have your father ever told you what to do in an emergency?" asked Ron, he stood to Harry's left, slightly behind. On Harry's right stood Hermione, leaning on Harry's shoulder, they were almost the same height. _Harry's always in the middle, and they are always flanking him. When did they become so close knitted?_ mused Neville absentmindedly as he answered Ron's question.

"No not really, I'm only supposed to never wander anywhere on my own. I have my mother's protection over me."

"That protection might not always be there for you," said Harry, ignoring Neville's objection that Dumbledore says otherwise, "That's why we are going to teach you how to survive. Here, the first thing to think of is to stand steady, feet wide. Find your balance."

And with that they had started to teach him how to fight, and Neville, he really couldn't find any objections.

-End flashback and end of Neville's POV-

It was Friday afternoon, a week after the Halloween feast. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in an alcove outside of an unused classroom on the third floor. As soon as they had finished their antidotes (perfectly brewed) in Potions they had hurried up here. Now Hermione was using the Neville-free time to quietly brief them on the Trace research.

"I finally got a clue in one of the books, a maternity manual of all things, and they mention the Trace in there. It is cast on the babies when they are newly born."

"Who casts the spell? They should be able to teach the counter curse," said Harry eagerly.

"The book doesn't say, it could be a healer or one from the office of underage magic. I'm not even sure if there **is** a counterspell."

"But if you learn the spell maybe you can find a way to reverse it?" asked Ron.

"Maybe, but then I'll need the rune chart or at least the arithmetic formula then I should…" Hermione cut herself off when the door in front of them opened and the champions and adults stepped outside.

Neville looked annoyed but his expression cleared when he saw the trio.

"You waited!" he said in a happy relieved voice. "I was afraid I would have to eat alone."

"Sorry Neville, we had to talk with someone first," said Hermione apologetic. Neville seemed to deflate.

"Don't worry, we'll meet you in the Great Hall in a few minutes, this shouldn't take long," said Harry. Neville heard the unspoken dismissal but stayed hesitantly. When the trio looked at him purposefully he sighed and left.

Not a second after he had left the trio entered the room. The only people left were Rita Skeeter and her photograph.

_Perfect, _thought Harry and cleared his throat. "Miss Skeeter?"

Rita Skeeter, who had turned around at the sound, looked eagerly at them until she recognized them or rather **didn't** recognize them. "Yes?"

"You write for the Daily Prophet, Miss?" asked Ron in a properly awed voice.

Rita Skeeter picked up on the awed tone right away and seemed to crone at the attention. "Yes I am, in fact, I am the official Triwizards tournament correspondent."

"Then we have something to tell you, it's the best story ever," said Ron enthusiastically.

"I'll decide if it's a good scoop or not. Okay kids, what is it?"

"We don't want to tell you while he is there," said Hermione shyly and pointed towards the photographer.

"Little girl, I decide who leaves and who goes and Bozo stays!"

"But we don't want to tell while he is here, it's a secret."

"Let it be Hermione, she don't won't to hear," said Harry and put a hand on her shoulder before glancing at Rita Skeeter. "Too bad, I really wanted that pompous fool to be brought down a couple of pegs."

Rita Skeeter seemed to hesitate for a second before saying, "well then, tell me who it is at least!"

"It is a famous person," said Harry temptingly. This seemed to win her over, for Rita, sent away her photographer and closed the door. Like a predator preying she swooped down on them.

"So spill," commanded Rita Skeeter eagerly and raised her Quick-Quotes Quill.

"It is about an illegal animagus," started Harry with an indulgent smile at Rita.

"Who has been buzzing around on Hogwarts ground, spying on people," continued Ron, and noted with savage pleasure how Skeeter narrowed her eyes and lowered her quills.

"We're have you gotten that information. Who is your source?"

"It doesn't matter…" started Harry but Rita interrupted him.

"No it doesn't matter," she said harshly. "It doesn't matter because you can't prove a thing."

"Reversio animagus," said Hermione calmly. "It is a spell that instantly reverses the animagus transformation. Imagine that spell in a public place with many witnesses…"

Rita looked furious and clenched her quill so hard that it threatened to snap. "Right! So why are you telling me this? What do you want?" he spat.

"We want to make sure that you keep to some basic reporter ethics," said Harry in a placid voice and continued harshly. "That mean we don't want to hear any imaginative stories about Longbottom, Hogwarts personnel or students."

"I will not…" started Rita but Ron interrupted her.

"What is the sentence for being an illegal animagus?"

"Five months I believe," answered Hermione.

"I don't believe you!" snapped Rita.

Harry waved his wand and the interview she had had with Neville zoomed out from her bag. Harry caught it deftly in his hand. "Are you willing to bet your freedom on that?" he asked her challengingly and with that he ripped the paper in two, throwing the pieces in the air and as they sailed to the ground they burst into flames.

The ashes landed at Rita's feet and Harry smirked coldly at her. "Oops. I apologize, but I guess you wasn't needing them anyway."

"You…" started Rita but facing three chilling, fearless faces she hesitated. In the end she averted her eyes and stormed out from the room.

"Unpleasant woman," stated Ron, not caring if she heard or not.

"What can you expect from a creep?" asked Harry rhetorically as they walked to meet up with Neville in the Great Hall. Just before the doors they were preyed upon by James Potter.

"Harry! Can I have a word with you?" asked his "dad" and pulled him towards a corner. "Alone, if you don't mind," he added when Ron and Hermione had followed.

"Dad, I tell Ron and Hermione everything, they might as well hear it from the beginning."

"It's a family business but you can tell them later, but I need to tell you first," said James unyieldingly. Harry sighed and motioned for Ron and Hermione to wait and allowed James to drag him further away.

"Why don't you just put up a silencing charm if you don't want anyone to hear," he said impatiently. James gave him a slightly sheepish smile.

"It's not that seriously," he rounded on Harry. "Now, I understand that Rose, Ginny and Matthew are fighting with Neville."

"More like ignoring him," muttered Harry. "What about it?"

"Your mum and I have tried to talk to her, but she's stubborn, like her mum," sighed James and pulled his hand through his hair. "Sirius has also talked to Matthew, but to no use."

"Why are you telling me this?" wondered Harry, curious to see how this would involve him. "Let them deal with it themselves."

"I was hoping that you could talk to Rose, trying to talk some sense into her. I'd hate to see their friendship ruined because of this."

"Um, dad, Rose and I aren't exactly best friends, she thinks I'm a wuss and I have little respect for her at all," said Harry unhelpfully.

"I think that you're wrong there. If you had talked to Rose these last weeks you'd know that she looks up to you." Harry snorted disbelievingly at this but didn't comment.

"So you want me to talk to Rose about her being friends with Neville again." James nodded. "Sorry dad, they'll have to solve that themselves, although I might give Rose a helping kick in her sorry butt."

James winced but shook his head a second later, looking at him in a bemused way. "Had to try, but sometimes I wonder if it isn't little of both Sirius and Remus in you, both can hold a grudge and are stubborn as hel…I mean very stubborn."

"Rose isn't a child, I won't help explaining the meaning of friendship to her, them. And while they sulk Neville hangs with us, I just hope for their sake that'll he wants them back afterwards."

"Yeah, I had meant to tell you about that. I'm very glad and proud over you, your friends too, that you allowed Neville to be with you during this time. It would have been very trying for Neville otherwise to be completely ostracized."

"We would have done it for anyone. But tell me, did you find out who put Neville's name in the goblet?"

"How do you know that anyone… never mind, no, we have no idea. But Sirius and I are keeping our eyes open, don't worry. Mad-eye, that's Professor Moody for you, says he'll stay vigilant too." Harry smiled grimly at this, wondering if perhaps he should send an anonymous tip to his dad about Mad-eye Moody. "You are so grown up all the sudden, makes me feel like I'm the child, or that I'm starting to get really old," said James with a small smile, looking Harry up and down. He ruffled Harry's hair and snaked an arm around his shoulder. "Let's so, your friends seem annoyed that I've kept you so long."

Neville was sitting dejectedly at the Gryffindor table and sneaked covert looks at the Pride who was sitting a couple of seats away. He lit up as Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down around him, still talking about something.

"And he didn't even remembered our names… oh great! Mashed potatoes! I'm starved," said Ron enthusiastically and grabbed the nearest bowl.

"You're always starving Ron," said Hermione affectionately.

"What can I say? I'm a growing boy." This had Hermione to still for a second and then smile.

"I forgot, can't believe that we'll have all of those discussions again."

"You mean bickering," inserted Harry, who was also loading his plate with huge amounts of food.

"We're to mature for bickering," sniffed Hermione, causing Ron to almost choke on his food as he started laughing.

Neville, who as usual didn't understood a word of what they were saying turned to Harry. "Did you finish what you wanted to do?"

"Yeah, we talked to Skeeter."

Suddenly Harry twitched uncomfortably and covertly looked around; he had a feeling that someone was watching him. He glanced to the house tables without seeing anything out of the ordinary. Neither at the head table could he see any showing the slightest interest in him or his friends. To the left he could see the two Unspeakables but both were deep in conversation and weren't looking up.

He sighed and dismissed the feeling, figuring that it must have been someone looking at Neville.

-Unspeakable POV-

Dillien Derwent loaded his plate with mashed potatoes and sausages, more for appearances sake then anything else, he wasn't really hungry. His eyes kept scanning the hall and the students as if his eyes alone would tell him where the strange magic trail they were tracking originated from.

He had managed to narrow down the list of potential sources to fourteen names, the list were a bit longer but these were the only names they had been able to confirm to have also visited the World cup, one of the places where the magical energy had been found.

He glanced at James Potter who were sitting at the other end of the table, the auror was the only name he recognized from the list, which made the whole investigating thing a lot more difficult. James Potter was literary gobbling down the food as if he had been starving for weeks, but then again he was most likely competing with Sirius Black, he remembered a cousin of his saying that those two were quite childish like that.

He stabbed a sausage with his fork and frowned thoughtfully. He had no way of knowing if Potter was acting different. He swallowed and looked out over the hall again.

Thirteen students. Eight of them in Gryffindor, two in Ravenclaw and three in Hufflepuff. No Slytherins. Four of the names were Weasley, that was a name he recognized – their father worked in the ministry. A bunch of redheads.

He found them easily, sitting at the Gryffindor table. Looking completely normal. He was a bit disappointed at that, but not surprised. He could expect them to sport pink dots or a big sign saying; _Unusual magic here!_

He turned to the dour man on his left and asked. "Professor Snape? Would you be so kind to assist me?"

Snape stopped mid-motion and put down his cutlery, with the exception of their first night in the school he had been ignoring the Unspeakables. He turned black eyes at Dillian and inquired in a measured voice.

"With what would an Unspeakable require my services?" He looked straight into Dillian's face even though he could see him thanks to the hood and some enchantments.

"I need someone to point out some students to me? I don't know everyone in the school." _Yet. _

If the potions master was surprised over the request he didn't show it, instead he just raised his eyebrow. "And why is the Unspeakables interested in school students?"

Dillian didn't answer, but that was okay, Snape didn't seem to expect that he would receive one. One of the advantages with the mystery surrounding their department, they were allowed some secrecy.

Dillian didn't wait for Snape to answer and quickly, and in a low tone, listed the students. This time he could detect some surprise in Snape's face at the random names, but nevertheless he went along with pointing out the students.

"…and at the far end of the Hufflepuff table, with the big bow in her hair, is Cecilia Vance."

"Thank you."

"Do you have any reason for asking me this?" asked Snape in a sharp voice.

"Yes but I'm afraid that I'm not allowed to disclose any information." Snape didn't say anything and he went on, letting is eyes roam over the students. His gaze stayed on one black haired boy, Harry Potter, and asked. "Have you noticed any unusual behavior in any of these students?"

He turned back to Snape just in time to see him hesitate and get something contemplating in his eyes. Snape's eyes strayed to the Gryffindor table but when he answered his voice held no doubts. "Not what I know about, you might wanna ask Professor McGonagall, she takes more interest in the students' life than I do." With that he turned away from him and continued with his meal as if the conversation never had happened.

"We could always try to catch them one and one, close proximity with the orb should solve it," whispered Aldwick, showing that she had heard the conversation.

"I don't think that will be necessary. The magic came from three different places," replied Dillian in a low voice and continued, "Three is the clue; it is a trio we are looking for," he said in a certain voice as he put one, now cold, sausage in his mouth.

-Normal POV-

"Harry? What is it?" asked Ron who had seen Harry's searching look. Harry shrugged, trying to forget about his feeling.

"I'm not sure, thought I felt eyes."

"What do you mean eyes?" wondered Neville curious.

"When you feel someone watching you," answered Harry. Neville did a not so discreet look around.

"I can't see anyone."

Harry snorted, "Of course not, they're not looking anymore."

"Well, never mind that," said Ron and continued with a nod down the table where the Lions Pride, minus Neville, was talking. "Do you know what they are talking about?" The question was rhetorical, seeing as only Ron, with his werewolf enhanced sense, could hear them.

"No."

"They are discussing the new werewolf act," muttered Ron darkly.

"How can you tell? I can't hear a word they are saying," said Neville and cupped his hand behind his ear in hope of hearing better.

"Good hearing," shrugged Ron.

"It's not everyone who keeps track of this, but the Act of Specie Oriented Lawsuit will be voted in the Wizengamot tomorrow," said Hermione. "You can't believe how much they have been lobbying for that act in the Daily Prophet. It's disgusting."

"Our dear Lions Pride doesn't seem to be too fond of it either," said Ron.

"Of course they're not," said Neville hotly. "They know that the law will affect Re…" Neville cut himself off and glanced sheepishly at Ron and Hermione. "…I mean… imagine if one of us was turned into a werewolf."

"Ron and Hermione know about Remus' little condition," said Harry in a low voice.

"What! But we weren't allowed to tell anyone about him!" hissed Neville in a low voice.

"And what are you going to do about it!" replied Harry back harshly. "Ron and Hermione won't tell anyone."

Neville flushed and looked away. "I just thought you had promised your father too; not to tell anyone." Harry wasn't sure about a promise; he could very well have given one. Neville continued, "Especially with everyone knowing what you really think about werewolves."

"I have nothing against werewolves," said Harry in a low voice.

"Really!" said Neville in a disbelieving voice. "Last time I checked you refused to sit at the same table as Remus. What changed?" he scoffed.

"I grew up," said Harry shortly in a voice that dared Neville to contradict him. Neville opened his mouth to argue but Harry cut him off, "something I see that you have yet to do, seeing as you almost scream Remus' secret to the whole hall to hear," he said in a cutting voice. Now tired of Neville's insistent pursuing of crimes Harry hadn't committed he gave Neville a glare that clearly said "Shut the hell up."

Neville faltered under the stare, which had made both new recruits and old veterans in the war to waver. Harry nodded and turned to Hermione, continuing their conversation as if Neville wasn't there.

"There hasn't been much opposition against the law," he said as he racked his brain for everything they had been reading in the Daily Prophet.

"Doesn't the Quibbler write anything?" asked Hermione.

"No, I asked Luna yesterday. Her only reply was that Werewolves are listed in Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them."

"And what did she mean with that?" asked Hermione with a small roll with her eyes.

"Beats me, maybe that the existence of werewolves are common knowledge and…"

"…therefore not appropriate material to the Quibbler," finished Hermione with a small smile. "Shame really."

"Why did he do that," asked Neville quietly to Ron, a bit put out at being admonished by Harry and then ignored.

"Do what?" asked Ron idly.

"Well! He got so angry with me, did you see the glare he gave me. It looked like he wanted to throttle me."

"Maybe he did." Seeing Neville's affronted look he said simply. "You made him angry. And if Harry is angry it's best to do whatever he want. Otherwise he'll turn real unpleasant."

"He is so different now, the Harry I know doesn't act like that," said Neville glumly and studied Harry.

"He has always been like that, he's just been hiding it before."

"But he was so shy before."

"Yeah but you can never imagine what kind of mind-boggling life-changing event that happened to Harry this summer that made him the way he is now." At Neville's expectant look he grinned and said dramatically, "he reached puberty."

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"So, that is five different types of curses likely to come your way if you meet a Dark wizard. Now, in your place the best you can do would be to dodge. With your level of skills," here Moody/Crouch glanced at Harry, who was sharing a bench with Neville in the front row. Neville followed Crouch's speech with avid attention, while Harry listened with an air of polite indifference. "…you can't hope to defeat a fully trained Dark wizard. But you have to start somewhere so I will teach you one of the basic shield charms – Protego."

Harry sighed and tuned out Crouch's droning voice. He couldn't believe that he was sitting in class learning the Protego. It was so mind-numbing boring. Not for the first time he wished they could just leave Hogwarts. They should focus all of their time hunting down Horcruxes and Death Eaters. Instead of learning spells and charms he could do in his sleep.

But Hermione hadn't found a way to get rid of the Trace and as long at the enchantment were in place they couldn't do any magic outside of Hogwarts without detection. And they couldn't afford to let their secret be known. So they were stuck at Hogwarts for the time being.

Harry sighed inwardly; he and Hermione had had a fight about that this morning. Harry was fed up with the time it took for Hermione to find the solution. Unsurprisingly Hermione had blown up on Harry and told him that he could do the research himself if hers wasn't satisfying enough. Ron had of course backed up Hermione. They hadn't been yelling at each other (thank Merlin for that; whenever they got **that** worked up things tended to break) but there had been a lot of cutting remarks.

Harry had avoided them at breakfast and in the class, preferring to sit with Neville. He would have to apologize to Hermione after the lesson. He had been an ass. He gave a humorless smile; he was lucky he had Ron and Hermione to make him feel bad afterwards.

He would try to hold his temper next time. Never mind that had become more and more difficult as the weeks dragged on.

His thoughts were interrupted by Crouch who was finished telling about the Protego charm, he had also cast the shield to show the class.

"Now, if I could have a volunteer to make the first try…" he trailed of and looked around the class. It was just an act; since their first lesson Crouch had called up Harry to test curses and spells in eight times out of ten. Crouch seemed determined to gauge Harry's strength, not that it would do him any good; Harry was careful only to show him only a fraction of his power and skills.

Harry straightened up and tried to display some attentiveness in his face, it was difficult. Not even the idea of having a Death Eater in the room could force him into alertness any more.

"Have about you Mr Potter?" _Surprise, surprise. "_You seem to be bored of my lesson; you think that you don't need to learn this? Think you're already good enough?" That was just a game and everyone in the room knew it. It was a well-known fact that Harry somehow had become the best student in DADA and had yet to fail in anything Moody threw at him.

Harry went up to the front of the class and faced Crouch. With a flashy move he drew his wand and easily slipped into a dueling pose. He smirked at Crouch – well used to this game by now. Harry would show off, treat Crouch as if he was another stupid brat, but never do more than the assigned task – and that annoyed Crouch to no ends, Harry could tell. Because, despite never showing any extraordinary knowledge, he knew that Crouch would recognize the ease he countered every spell, the almost instinctual way he moved.

"No Professor, I'm in as much need to learn as everyone else in this class," he said politely and met Crouch's eyes. Crouch knew he lied but he didn't call him on it. He never did.

"Then this will be good practice. Petrificus Totalus!" he shouted and sent the spell Harry's way.

Harry wasn't surprised at the non existent warning, Crouch never warned him like he did all the other students.

Raising his wand he intoned clearly, "Protego," as he simultaneously took a small step to the left. A faint blue shimmer appeared but disappeared when Crouch's spell went straight trough it – missing Harry with barely an inch.

"Almost Potter, let's try it again shall we? Petrificus Totalus!"

This time Harry effortlessly raised the shield and Crouch's spell fizzled out against its shimmering blue surface.

"Good, at least we know that **you** can do it," said Crouch gruffly and turned to the rest of the class who had interestedly been watching. "Lets see if you lot can do it too! Line up!" he barked and the class hurriedly got up to obey the command. "Potter! You can take Longbottom. Patil! You go with Bones. Thomas and Macmillan, Granger and Abbot, the other Potter and Perks," Crouch continued to divide the class into pair. Ron caught Harry's eyes and made a face when he was paired up with Zacharias Smith.

They were instructed to face off against each other and shoot Petrificus Totalus while the other was going to block it.

"Are you ready," asked Harry in a nonchalant voice.

"Just one second," said Neville and raised his wand and said in a concentrating voice. "Protego!" A weak shield shimmered for a moment before fading out. Neville frowned and tried again. This time the shield stayed for a little longer but inevitable faded away before Harry could try hitting it.

Harry looked around and noticed that the rest of the class had the same trouble as Neville to conjure the shield. The air was filled with shouts of Protego and blue shimmers could be seen in between the students – no one had gotten around to actually try the shields yet.

"I don't get it, how did you do the shield on your second try?" asked Neville frustrated as his twelfth try to conjure the shield failed to even reach the required size.

Harry shrugged and stepped closer to Neville. "It's all about your mind and will," Harry tried to explain. "A shield isn't just something you can conjure to get the right grades. To conjure a shield you have to do it because you need it. You need to channel your desire for protection in the magic. Magic is all about will and intent. When you say Protego you need the protection, you need the shield. You wont accept a faint blue shimmer because you **need** that shield to survive." It wasn't easy to try to explain to a fourth year boy a dueler's dependency on a shield.

"Okay," said Neville hesitantly and raised his wand to try again. Harry shook his head and lowered Neville's wand again. He hadn't yet understood.

"Listen to this; imagine that I am threatening you. I'm going Petrify you, then I'm going to slowly peal of your skin inch by inch and I'll make Rose eat it. You don't want that to happen do you?"

"No," said Neville looking sick.

"Then your only hope is the shield charm, it's the only thing that will save you. You need to put everything you have in that charm. It's your only salvation. Ready?"

Before Neville had time to answer Harry raised his wand and cried, "Petrificus Totalus!"

"Protego!" Neville's shield charm flickered blue but faded even before Harry's spell reached it. The curse slammed into Neville and he fell to the floor. Harry stepped up to him and watched unsmilingly as Neville's eyes kept flicking here and there. He kneeled beside Neville and said in a low voice. "Hmm, too much people here to peel of your skin. I let you off this time. A little warning though." He flicked his wand and Neville's eyes widened in alarm. Harry let him fret for you moment before he cancelled both spells. Neville shot up and started brushing himself off. The skin-crawling curse was unpleasant that way.

"Okay this let's try something else. You don't know what kind of curse I'll use so you better have that shield up."

"What's wrong with you! You can't just take another spell, what if I get hurt!"

"You won't if you conjures that shield charm."

"I'll tell the Professor!"

"You can't, if you do the spell will hit the girl behind you." He didn't give Neville a chance to answer before he growled out, "Pervello!"

Neville jerked and slashed down his wand while screaming in a loud voice, "Protego!" A shimmering blue shield appeared and Harry's curse slammed into it and disappeared.

"Nice Neville," praised Harry. Neville opened his eyes he had closed on instinct.

"Good Longbottom." Crouch voice carried through the now silent room. Everyone had stopped their own tries at Neville's shout and was now watching him keenly. "So that's four people who have managed to do it now." Harry didn't need three guesses to figure out who were the other two. "Get starting again. I won't let you out of here until you have managed the Protego. A shield charm is one of your most important defenses..." continued Crouch and once again the air was filled with shouts of Protego.

Harry stepped up to Neville who was watching him uneasily. "Just…just what kind of spell were you using back there," he asked hesitantly.

"Pervello," said Harry and added with a comforting smile, "you needn't to worry it's only a spell that makes your arm to twitch, good for distraction but not dangerous."

"You just wanted to scare me so…"

"So you got the shield right. It worked didn't it. Let's do it again – wit out the scarce," said Harry encouragingly.

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"I'm so tired of the library by now! How is it even possible to cram in so many hours in that place with the schedule we have," groaned Ron as he and Harry left the library early. Hermione had decided to stay a bit longer but had ordered Harry and Ron away when they no longer could bear to sit still and quiet.

"Don't let Hermione hear you say that," warned Harry and remembered back to when he had apologized to Mione for his careless comments before. He had been groveling in the dirt for her forgiveness. He hated it, but a fair voice in his head recognized that it was nothing more than he deserved.

"I'm not that stupid unlike some," snorted Ron and glanced at Harry. "Seriously mate, your temper will get you in trouble some day."

"And it hasn't yet?" asked Harry. "Also I seem to recall you losing your temper more often than I ever did."

"As if," snorted Ron. Then he suddenly heard something and he twisted his head sideways.

"What?" murmured Harry, instantly recognized Ron's behavior for what it was.

"I just thought I heard something," he whispered.

"Bad?"

Ron nodded.

"Let's have a look then, you never know with all Death Eater spawn around here."

Quickly they hurried up to the third floor and Harry feel in behind Ron as Ron lead the way. He stopped outside an old classroom and tentatively tried the door handle. It was locked.

"Someone is shouting in here…and crying," he murmured.

"Who is it?"

"Slytherins."

That seemed to settle it for Harry and with a powerful charm he unlocked the door. He slammed the door open and raised his wand.

The occupants in the room were slightly slower and Harry got a clear view of the two Lestrange brothers, Crouch and two more Slytherins he vaguely recognized as Travers and Macnair. But it was the shape on the floor that filled him with uncontrollable fury.

A small girl, barely more than a first year, laid gasping and groaning, her pupils dilated in paralyzed shock. Her arm had been severed from her shoulder and laid limp and bleeding next to her.

Wit a roar of fury Harry turned to the Slytherins who had at last noticed them.

"Look! Trespassers!" jeered Revan Lestrange and raised his wand. "Petrif.." He didn't get further because Harry had already fired away several wandless stupefies.

The five Slytherins gasped in alarm and three went down immediately. Crouch and Macnair had managed to dodge.

"Drop your wands," hissed Harry, to angry to care for appearances. "Now!" When they didn't immediately obey Harry waved his hand. _Expelliarmus! Corrappio! Gravitas Opposita! _At the last charm the two remaining "fell" to the ceiling and when they hit it with a low bump he ended the charm causing them to come crashing to the ground again.

With the Slytherins slightly dazed Harry easily relieved them of their wands. Looking at their pitiful appearances he slowly aimed their own wands at them, he was the rightful master of the wands now anyway.

"You disgusting lowlife," he said in a cold voice. "May Magic be my judge; you have now renounced your innocence. Crucio!" the spell hit Crouch in the chest and he fell shrieking to the floor. His friend Macnair helplessly staring in shock.

Harry watched with sadistic pleasure how Crouch rolled around screaming on the floor, he loved giving scum like him a taste of their own medicine. Suddenly Ron's voice cut through Crouch's screams.

"Harry! What the hell are you doing! Stop that and help me!"

Harry snapped out of his haze and quickly ended the smell, feeling like Crouch should be grateful that he was allowed a reprieve he quickly stunned him. He turned to Macnair who cowered in fear in front of him but Harry simply stunned him.

"Harry!" Ron's scream got him to quickly hurry back to Ron who had kneeled by the shocked girl. She struggled when Harry arrived but Ron held her down.

"Shyss, we are here to help you, little one," cooed Ron softly. "Don't worry, we'll make the pain go away." She stopped struggling but her eyes moved frightened back and forth. "I have sent a Patronus to Hermione, she'll be back in a few minutes," he murmured to Harry.

"I'll do what I can meanwhile," said Harry. "Cessosanguis!" The blood flow stopped somewhat, but not entirely. Harry wasn't that good with healing charms, he had just learned the most basic for field or self healing. He was only proficient in **causing** injuries.

"She has lost a lot of blood," said Ron in a low voice. "Whatever they did must have gone wrong."

"I don't care for what they had intended to do!" growled Harry as he noticed the girls eyes grow heavier. "Where is Hermione!"

Unable to sit still and watch anymore Harry tried to slip into his animagus form. But the phoenix form refused to appear. He growled angrily as he struggled to get hold of the Lightness that was Ra. But it was no use; a phoenix, a creature of Light would never possess a body that had so thoroughly enjoyed causing others pain just moments ago.

_I can't transform! _He thought with fear and anger rising. Her eyes closed, but he knew there was still life in her. He wouldn't let her die! Not when it was in his power to stop it! That was his duty! That was his purpose. Unbidden images appeared in his head. There had been another girl just like this one. _She had been completely naked, clothes torn off and destroyed a long time ago. Her eyes stared at him as he came into her room. She was unmoving, unresponding. Even if she hadn't been shackled to the hospital bed she probably wouldn't have moved. She was broken. "They destroyed her will and her magic," a voice said._

No! He wouldn't allow innocents to suffer. Not a child. Not a little girl with pink rosettes in her hair and schoolbooks in her hand. He would protect her because that was what he lived for.

The presence of Ra, his phoenix part burst through his mind, lightening it up and chasing away his fears. With a hopeful thrill and a shower of feathers the big golden bird settled down on the floor beside the girl.

At the beautiful thrill the girl opened her eyes and stared transfixed in the warm eyes of the Phoenix. Ra thrilled again and lowered his head down to the wound and cried three tears.

The wound seemed to clean itself, the black grime that had covered it, residues from the dark curse, melted away.

Behind them the door slammed open but the bird didn't stop it's crying.

Hermione couldn't help but to feel fear freezing her insides as he saw Ron kneeling at the floor, with Ra bowing his head over a small figure. Not caring that she was out of breath or that she was sweaty all over she hurried over to the group. Carefully shuffling aside the golden wings so she wouldn't step on them she sank down next to Ron.

"Her arms severed, do what you can," said Ron hurriedly. He stood up, giving Hermione space to work and closed the door Hermione had left wide open.

Hermione barely noticed Ron erecting wards on the door as she expertly took in the damage. Ra had cleaned the wound, now if she only could save the arm.

Quickly she got to work, first with cleaning the arm, Ra helped with that, and then by slowly attaching it to the shoulder again. It was tedious work, the curse had been a real evil one. One she had never encountered before, but she continued on working.

Ron quietly joined her side when he had warded the doors, offering her silent support. Ra remained by her side all the time, thrilling encouragingly.

Carefully she brought life to the severed nerves and arteries and drew back, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Now, I've done all I can, it'll heal on its own now."

Ra gave a small disagreeing chirp and leaned down and cried a last tear one the wound, making the scars disappear completely.

"Oh, that's right, I had forgotten," said Hermione with a faint giggle. Ron supported her gently. "I'm not that tired," she protested, "It's just that the adrenalin is leaving and the emotions start to catch up."

They sat still for a moment watching the girl wake up. Ra was the first to notice for he gave a happy chirp, and ruffled his feathers. The girl blinked and tentatively reached up and stroked the soft feathers.

"He is beautiful isn't he," said Hermione in a soft voice. The girl's eyes flicked to Hermione before straying back to Ra.

"Do you mind telling us your name?" asked Hermione.

"Eleanor Branstone." They heard Hermione gasp in recognition and looked inquiringly at her, but she didn't comment. "Do you remember what happened Eleanor?"

"You saved me."

"Yes, and we are very happy that we got here in time, a little longer and we might not have been able to save your life."

The girl averted her face and started to shake. Ra could sense her tears and gently buffed his head towards her. With a choked sob she grabbed hold of his body and started to cry silently in his chest.

Behind her, Ron muttered," Tactful," to Hermione, who determinedly hugged Eleanor closer. "I'm so sorry sweetie."

It was a strange scene indeed in that abandoned classroom. A girl sobbing against a crooning phoenix, comforted by a young girl, guarded by a stoic fourteen year old boy.

After awhile though, the sobs died down, Ra's song having worked its magic, Eleanor sniffling let go of him and sank down against Hermione. "There there, sweetie, it'll be better. I promise," cooed Hermione softly. "We won't let anyone hurt you."

Eleanor made a choking sob and attempted to hide in Hermione's robes. Harry gave off another trill.

"Please Eleanor, can you tell us what happened, if you do we can make sure that they are punished and they wont be able to ever hurt you again."

At first none could here what she was saying but after a while the mutterings of "No no no no no no no." Became more pronounced.

"Okay we'll take it easy. Eleanor, have this happened to you before?" Was this the first time this happened?" A small shake on her head. "Can you tell me what they did? You can whisper in my ear."

Eleanor did so and then ducked her head down. Hermione got something dark in her eyes as she glared at the decked Slytherins in the corner.

"Hermione?" asked Ron.

"They used her as an practice dummy for dark spells, thank Merlin they hadn't gotten to the cruciatus yet. This cutting curse was the worst so far," she said darkly. "Bet they hadn't planned for it to get out of hand. They usually do their thing, clean her up and threaten her to silence."

Beside her Ron tensed in anger and too looked to the Slytherins. It was murder in his eyes.

"How could this happen? How come Dumbledore doesn't know about this?" he asked out loud in outrageous anger and disbelief.

Hermione didn't answer him but turned to Eleanor again. "Do you know if this happens to other students as well?"

Eleanor played nervously with a piece of string on her torn clothes. "Only muggleborns, I'm not supposed to say but I think they did it to Mary White. And she said they do it to Oliver Taylor, because his father's a muggle. They say we are filth."

"You are not filth," said Hermione firmly.

"Have you ever told anyone?" asked Ron gently. She shook her head. Ron didn't bother to ask why, it was obvious. He felt so tired, as if all the joy and hope he had felt since coming to this world had been abruptly stolen away, only leaving the bitter feeling of hate for the Slytherins.

"It doesn't matter, we will tell Dumbledore and then they'll be out of here." She turned inquiringly to Ron when he didn't reply. Even Ra looked up at them intently.

"I'm not sure if we can," said Ron in a low voice so that Eleanor wouldn't hear. Ra looked away and returned his attention to Eleanor, drawing her away from the discussion, but Ron could tell he was still listening.

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione heatedly. "We can't let them get away for this!"

"How do we explain this then, the wound is healed, no evidence there. Not to mention that we shouldn't be able to heal such a wound, Harry used above NEWT level spellwork, not to mention, he tortured one of them Hermione! We can't let these things get out."

Hermione twitched her head in barely suppressed annoyance. "We can't let this go unpunished Ron," she said angrily, turning her fury over her inability to help on him.

Ron took her ire in stride. "Who said anything about letting them off? The'll get what's coming to them, but the most important thing now is our secret and Eleanor's safety."

Begrudgingly Hermione acquiesced but at when Ron went on to suggest they obliviated the knowledge from their minds she protested.

"You can wipe off the memories of the Slytherins, Ron, but not on her. No Ron, we're not violating her mind like that." Ron recognized that tone for what it was and obeyed immediately.

After they had cleaned her up and repaired her clothes they sent her on her way.

"Go back to your friends, I'm sure they are wondering where you are."

"Thank you," she said quietly. Ra was sitting on her shoulder, swaying precariously, her knees almost buckled under his weight but he seemed content as he nibbled at her ear.

"Oh Ra, your overgrown chicken, come over here before you make the girl fall over," said Ron amusedly. Ra gave an incensed squeak but flapped over to Ron's shoulder were he pulled at a strand of Ron's red hair. "Oi, stop that!" cried Ron and tried to swat him away.

Eleanor giggled and looked at the two of them with wide eyed curiosity. "He is a beautiful bird," she said admiringly. "Is he yours?"

"Ra here is a phoenix, he doesn't really belong to anyone, but I think he has taken a liking to me. You too by the way, I wouldn't be surprised if he were to visit you from time to time," said Ron.

Eleanor lit up. "Really!"

"Sure. It will be nice to get him out of our hair."

She giggled again and asked tentatively. "Is it okay if I tell my friends about him?" She looked unsure at them, because they had strongly told her how important it was that she never tell anyone of what had happened today.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other and then at Ra who gave a small thrill. "Yeah off course, but make sure it stays a secret among friends then."

"Yes, I will, thank you, bye Ra," she said happily and bounded outthought the door. Hermione closed the door after her and turned to face Ron and Ra. Ra turned back without a sound and Harry sat suddenly perched on Ron's shoulder.

"Hey get down," cried Ron and swatted Harry off before he lost his balance. Harry glided of Ron's shoulder with an indignant huff.

"Do you know who that girl was," said Hermione in a serious voice.

"You recognized her from before then?" asked Ron, forgetting his banter with Harry.

"She's Eleanor Branstone," she glanced at Harry, who frowned in thought, "she was one of the first muggleborns to go to the Death Eaters experimental facilities," she said in a low, sorrowful voice.

Ron froze and closed his eyes, trying hard to forget the unwanted memories that appeared. It had been so unfair. He opened his eyes when something slammed into him hard. Looking down he saw a mass of Harry's messy hair. Harry punched his chest in anger once, before hiding his face in Ron's sweater. Ron could hear Harry's muffled breathing against his chest as he strived to control himself. Gently he folded his arms around Harry's smaller frame.

"I thought she looked familiar," murmured Harry. "I…I remember her."

"She was one of them we couldn't save, her mind had been broken," said Hermione, her voice close to tears.

"I remember, she was shackled to that bed, and when we tried to release her… she screamed. She screamed so much. Williams had to stun her. She screamed so much," Harry whispered in an oddly frightened voice. Ron could feel him shake slightly before he managed to clamp down on his feelings. He swallowed once. "She screams in my nightmares sometimes. But then she screams words at me. Hates me," he said slowly. Ron and Hermione didn't comment, they knew perfectly well what kind of dream Harry had had. He had woken them up often enough during the war. They had tried to talk about their dreams so often that they knew them intimately.

Harry turned to the five Slytherins who started to come to. "We'll just erase their memories, I don't think I can deal with them now without murdering them."

Hermione drew her wand from her wand holster. "You two go down to dinner, I'll deal with them," she ordered in a firm voice, when she saw them hesitate, she gave a noise of impatience. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm the best at memory charms anyway."

Seeing her determination they nodded and once the door was closed and warded again she turned to the five Slytherins. With her mouth in a grim line she flicked her wand and bound the five of them. Then she began.

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"Where are you little toad," muttered Harry, lying on the ground in their dorm. Neville's toad Trevor seemed almost magical with its ability to disappear all the time.

It was after dinner time, which have been spent in solemn silence, making Neville wonder what had happened. They never told him, but their thoughts continued to return to the events of the afternoon. They had all three of them felt especially unhinged afterwards. Again the memories from the war returned, and the need for something to distract them had led to them deciding to try and hatch the basilisk eggs. The only thing they needed for that was a toad. And Harry knew just the toad, if only he could find it.

"Oh, this is ridiculous." He lifted his hand and called. "Accio Trevor." The toad flew out from the bathroom and landed in Harry's outstretched hand.

"Wow, how did you do that?" Harry turned around and saw Seamus standing in the doorway. Slowly Harry stood up, holding the toad tightly in his hand.

"This was nothing Seamus, it didn't happen." Carefully he stepped up to the fourth year boy, again he raised his hand. "Obliviate!" Seamus eyes dimmed for a second before focusing again and he jumped in fright at seeing Harry so close to him. Harry had just slipped down the toad in a small satchel and looked up at Seamus with a small smile. "You okay Seamus? You spaced out for a second there."

"Yeah I'm fine," he was about to say something when he seemed to space out again almost causing Harry to think he had somehow messed up the memory charm, when Seamus spoke again. "Hell, what was it I was here for. I've forgotten."

"Can't help you there mate," grinned Harry and went down the stairs.

Seamus following, complaining, "It's always like this, you know. If I forget something I always have to go back to what I was doing before and hope I'll remember." Back down in the common room Seamus looked to a table where Dean and the Creevy brothers were sitting. He snapped his fingers, "Oh right, my cards!" And with that he spun around and disappeared up the stairs again.

Shaking his head at Seamus he continued out through the portrait whole. Hermione and Ron would be waiting for him in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, they seemed to think that he had spent far too much time alone in the damp chamber.

When he reached the second floor he made sure he wasn't followed and found the door to the bathroom open. Slipping inside he almost ran into a dark clad figure with its back towards Harry. "Weasley, Granger, fifty points from Gryffindor for improper behavior, and Weasley detention for being in the girls bathroom," Snape's voice cut through the room and Harry caught a quick glimpse of Ron and Hermione in what had obviously been a embrace a few seconds earlier.

Upon hearing what Snape said Harry instinctively turned invisible. Snape who seemed to have sensed something behind him turned around and Harry found Snape's black eyes staring right at him. He held his breath, lest something would expose him, but after a few seconds of staring Hermione's cough had him turn around again and Harry carefully slipped out through the room.

He cancelled the invisibility charm a second before Snape exited the bathroom and the professor stopped abruptly. "Potter," acknowledged Snape. "What are you doing here? Intending to sneak into the girl's bathroom too?" he added sneeringly.

"No sir, I'm merely waiting for Hermione," he answered innocently, wondering little over what Snape would to.

"They will be out soon – both of them," said Snape and prepared to leave.

"Sir," inquired Harry, while inwardly he was smirking to the thought of playing with the potions master.

Snape hesitated for the smallest second before saying. "Well Potter, you seemed quite attached to Weasley the other day," he smiled condescendingly, "it seems that Weasley isn't as dedicated as you." With that he left, allowing Harry to slip inside the room. In there he found Ron and Hermione looking slightly sheepish.

Harry lifted his eyebrow inquiringly at them, unable to hide his smirk. "So Snape caught you…"

"Oh be quiet," snapped Hermione flustered.

"Honestly, how did he managed to sneak up on you?" asked Harry, the question was mostly directed to Ron who scowled.

"It's your fault really. We were expecting you to come earlier so we left the door open."

"I had some trouble collecting the frog." Hermione and Ron seemed to find this extremely funny so Harry opted to tell the entire story. While he talked they all stepped up to the sink and Hermione hissed the password, albeit in a slightly accented voice.

"You are not really one to comment on being careless," said Ron just as Harry prepared slide down the hole. Rather than answering Ron he slid down in the hole, which had been cleaned out by him during a previous trip. He landed gracefully on the carcass filled floor and flicked his hand, creating floating lights.

Noise from the tunnel alerted him to Ron's arrival, and a second later Ron stumbled out from the hole and fell into Harry's arms. Harry hugged and gave him a quick kiss before, letting him go in favor of helping Hermione who also tumbled out from the tunnel. After a quick kiss on her cheek, they continued down the dark tunnel like they had done so many weeks before.

The Chamber of Secrets looked the same, but the low cave in which they had found the eggs had been subject to change, Ron noted. Pleasant warmth filled the cave, the source was Gubraithian fire, also known as everlasting fire. Probably Hermione's work, seeing as neither Harry nor Ron, strangely as it seemed, could make the difficult spell.

"Ohh, it's still burning," said Hermione happily and went to examine the flame, which was merrily burning on the ground inches away from the eggs. Harry followed her and carefully patted the eggs. Ron saw Harry and Hermione smile at each other, happiness and contentment in their eyes. He was glad that they had something to forget the nasty memories the afternoons meeting with Eleanor had brought up. These past weeks at Hogwarts had been good for them, they had started to heal, had started to regain their normal lives, something he had once thought impossible. The emotional turmoil was only further proof of this, they were starting to let go of their wartime personas.

And this little adventure with the basilisks were probably good for Harry, who, Ron had noted, hade been really antsy these past weeks – peace didn't sit too well with Harry. He kept expecting something to happen and when it didn't he got stressed.

_I just hope that the basilisks turns out to be cute and cuddly, otherwise he'll be disappointed_, thought Ron as he watched Harry trying to put the toad on the eggs. When the toad tried to jump away Harry lost patience and spelled the toad put.

"So now that that was done, let's start with the next thing," Harry said good-naturally, as if the basilisk eggs were no longer of any significance. "I guess we should start plan our little ministry visit."

"I still think we should have it during Christmas holidays," commented Ron sharply, they had already discussed this rather heatedly before. Ron knew that Harry valued Ron's advice and Harry also knew that Ron was the better of the two to plan missions. Sooner or later Harry would give in.

"If we go during Christmas people will notice we are gone," said Harry stubbornly.

"You are kidding right!" asked Ron. "If you haven't noticed we're not really the golden trio here, more like the invisible losers."

"That's not really true," murmured Hermione and there was a lull in the conversation. Hermione looked up from the dancing flames she had been engrossed in. "Our sudden skills haven't gone unnoticed. You two suddenly became the top in our year, I, the bullied muggleborn, attacked three Slytherins. They know about us," she stated unemotionally.

"Don't say you haven't felt the eyes on your back Ron," continued Harry. "Snape is watching us, and so is the Slytherins, I've even caught one of the Unspeakable looking at us at one time."

"James Potter is keeping an eye on you too."

"The only one who hasn't taken any notice of us seems to be Dumbledore."

"Point taken, but if we were to go during on of the weekends like you want then the ministry will be mostly empty, the risk of getting caught is so much greater. Unable to use magic, we'll need crowds to blend into," retorted Ron.

"But what if someone notice that we are gone then?" said Harry, unwilling to budge.

"What if someone catches us in the ministry, I'd say that is a lot worse," countered Ron.

"We could probably make some excuse for our absence during Christmas," added Hermione.

"Yes, maybe we could ask Neville to cover for us or maybe Hagrid," continued Ron.

"That's not infallible," objected Harry.

"Do you have another reason for objecting so much?" said Ron frowning, they had talked about this before but Ron honestly had thought Harry would have changed his mind by now.

"I think that Christmas holiday is too far away, do you realize how much time that we have been wasting?" he asked pointedly.

"It's only a couple of weeks more," said Hermione soothingly.

"…I guess you are right," said Harry unwillingly. "It's just that this inactivity really gets at me. It wouldn't be a problem if the Trace was gone and we could actually **do** something!" finished Harry frustrated.

"But we wanted to have some peace and quiet," said Hermione. Harry made a disgusted face and she continued, "We have things to do anyway; you Harry can start to prepare Neville for the first task."

"I was going to tell him about the dragons tonight, you saw the dragons land then?" he asked Hermione.

"This afternoon, they were spelled invisible, but not good enough," said Hermione with a small self-satisfied smile. "Damn I'm good!"

Harry looked bemusedly at Hermione until Ron let off a snort, "How do you think Neville will take it?"

"Ten galleons that he'll take denial to a completely new level," said Harry.

"I'm on."

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It turned out that Harry's was right and when Harry later on that evening, with Ron grinning in the background, told Neville about the dragons he answered with a very faint. "You are joking right?" He finished with a small strained smile, which quickly got more strained when Harry shook his head. "But they wouldn't use dragons! They're dangerous!"

"I'm afraid they do, they arrived this afternoon, camping just by the forest."

"But dragons!" said Neville faintly. "Dumbledore would never allow something like that. "They're dangerous!"

"I'm sure that you'll be fine Neville," said Ron, Neville didn't seem to hear him.

"You must have gotten it wrong," he said and after a few moments of muttering he seemed to have convinced himself. "Yes, it probably wasn't dragons. It was dark right? It might have been something else," he finished in a rushed voice, "and even if it was dragons, they won't be for the task, right. Maybe just to get the right atmosphere," he finished hopefully.

By now Harry had gotten enough and he grabbed Neville and pulled him with him. Wordlessly and wandlessly he summoned the Marauders map, which came flying from the girl's dormitory. Rose came bounding after it, making a grab for it just as Harry snatched it from the air.

"Hey! We had that one!" she growled. Harry put it in his pocket and turned to Rose.

"Sorry we need it now," he said calmly, in a voice that broke no arguments. It was then Rose noted Neville standing awkwardly at Harry's side, glaring at Rose's left shoulder.

"What are you going to do?" she asked suspiciously when she noted Harry's grip on Neville's arm.

"What's it to you?" asked Neville rather defensively, considering that he himself had no idea.

"It's curfew, you'll get in trouble!"

"Why do you care?" asked Neville.

"You'll lose points!"

"If it was someone else saying it, then I might actually give a damn. Neville, go outside, I'll be there in a second," he ordered and Neville, bewildered, obeyed without question. Once Neville had gotten out of hearing range Harry rounded on Rose. Careful to keep his voice down he hissed. "I'm starting to tire of your stupidity, sister dearest!" She tried to back away as he got closer but he grabbed her arms, twisting it slightly, not enough to be painful but making her unable to move. "Up until now Neville have been your friend, are you willing to lose that? You've always been a petty, childish girl, but I thought you had started to grow up, but as usual you like to prove me wrong." He let her off and backed away from her. "Rose, use what ever sense you have and think. Neville didn't put his name in the goblet, I think it's time you realize that!" With that he left her, not caring about the many expression flashing on her face. He honestly didn't care about a girl's feelings of fear and anger.

Outside Harry found Neville, awkwardly talking to the Fat Lady, it was past curfew. Quickly he tapped Neville's head with his wand. Neville shivered as the Disillusion charm took hold.

"What did you do?" asked Neville.

Harry smirked and did the same on himself, Neville's eyes widened and he looked at his own body. "How do you know all these spells all the time?"

"We practice a lot, and it helps having the smartest witch in Hogwarts as your friend," said Harry as they started towards the Entrance Hall.

"But why? Last year you weren't that dedicated to studying," said Neville.

"How do you know?" countered Harry. "It wasn't exactly like people kept tabs on what we were doing. No one noticed if we disappeared for a couple of hours," continued Harry, exploiting the fact that no one had seemed to care about their counterparts' lives before.

They were silent for a second and Harry took the moment to check the Marauders map. Snape was in his office, Filch in sixth floor gallery (not that Harry worried about him overly much) and Dumbledore was in the kitchen. If they hurried they wouldn't have to worry about him catching them out.

"You still haven't said why you learn all these spells," asked Neville in a low voice as they skulked down the stairs.

_Stubborn isn't he?_ Harry thought crossly and glanced at Neville in the corner of his eyes. "What makes you think I'll tell you?" he asked in a grave voice, and Neville colored but didn't attempt to come up with a retort. _Neville_ _in this world definitely have some Hufflepuff spirit, just like our did. Hufflepuffs is the only ones to display that sense of honest tact._

That above all else was what made Harry answer Neville's question.

"We have felt restless these past months," he said honestly. "There is something coming, a calm before the storm. We know that this calm won't last forever and we are preparing for it." They reached the doors and managed to slip outside. Neville didn't know it but as they did Harry dismantled two different wards, not strong ones, Hogwarts defenses were still only on a low security level.

"What do you think will happen? You know something?" asked Neville urgently.

"Think Neville, Death Eaters appear at the World Cup, mysteriously disappearances and murders without a perpetrator. You being entered in a dangerous competition," they had stopped now on the path looking at each other. Neville looked anxiously at Harry, vaguely knowing where he was heading with his line of reasoning but afraid to say it out loud. Harry on the other hand calmly looked back, before his eyes strayed to the castle behind them. "Say Neville," he suddenly asked, "Have you had any strange dreams lately," Neville was rather thrown at this non sequitur. "Where someone plotting your murder, perhaps?" Harry's voice had taken an eerie tone and when he looked into Neville's eyes, Neville almost wanted to look away from the intensity in those green eyes.

"No, not what I can remember," lied Neville, trying to sound off-handily, as to not show how unnerved he was. But somehow Harry seemed to read the truth in his eyes because he smiled grimly and continued down on the path.

"Things are starting Neville, me, Ron and Hermione knows it. A war is approaching and we will fight in it," here he glanced at Neville, "and so will you. You have to do everything you can to prepare for it."

"Are you talking about Voldemort?" asked Neville in a low whisper.

"Yes, Neville, he will return, soon and you'll be in the middle of it all," said Harry in a grim voice. It was all very ominous and Neville tried a small smile.

"Oh and how do you know that? Did Ron predict it or something," he joked weakly, a bit unnerved at what Harry was saying.

Harry gave him a little mysteriously smile, "Something like that, yes."

"Hmpf, Divination is a loud of hippogriff's dung," said Neville derisively, remembering all the times Trelawney had predicted his dead. He desperately hoped that the trio wouldn't start doing that to him.

For some reason Harry gave a dark laugh at this. He didn't elaborate on his amusement though and they continued. Now Neville could make out some kind of structure in front of them and as they got nearer Neville saw it was a big fence.

By now he really didn't want to know what's inside of the fence but Harry, opposite to what Neville wanted, made little pegs grow out from the planks like a ladder.

"After you, Boy-who-lived." Again Neville couldn't help but to think that he rather be without that title, whenever Harry used it, it felt like he was expecting something from Neville. Nevertheless he started climbing, Harry close after, and when he peeked over the edge he opened his mouth to let out a scream. Not even ten feet away from them, laying on the grass, was a huge dragon.

The screamed never got out though, because just that moment Harry pinched him hard and the scream turned into a pained choke. The dragon twitched and turned it's head towards them but it either didn't see them or thought them insignificant because it soon lowered its head again and fell back to sleep.

"Be quiet!" hissed Harry.

But Neville barely heard him, he was busy staring at three more shapes further away. Each seemed bigger than the other and one even had a spiked tail. He couldn't imagine fighting against one of them. The bare thought made him to all cold and numb inside. Shakily they got down, or Neville got down shakily, Harry just jumped down and landed in a silent crouch.

"How can they expect us to fight against dragons!" asked Neville and sank down to the ground, not caring that his trousers got wet.

"You're a Gryffindor, aren't you?"

"How can you be so calm!" hissed Neville angrily. "It'll kill me," he added in a hollow voice. His eyes was so scared that Harry decided to take pity on him. He crouched down to Neville's level and put his hands on Neville's shoulders.

"Listen to me Neville. I don't think you have to fight it, probably just evade it or something."

"And that's better how?"

"It's much easier, then we can think of a strategy," Neville looked up at Harry, hope growing. Harry smiled, "come on Neville! You didn't think we'd let you do this all by yourself. We'll help you."

"You think you know a way?"

Harry snorted, "You haven't seen anything of what we are truly capably of. Don't worry." He dragged Neville off the ground. As they walked back Harry noted Hagrid and Maxime wandering towards the enclosure.

A bit later still Harry could see the bouncing figure of the Durmstrang headmaster. As they passed each other he looked their way and, despite the disillusions charms, waved at them before continuing on his way.

Harry shook his head bemusedly; he hadn't given much thought to the Durmstrang headmaster. Maybe he should pay him a visit. He wondered wickedly what the man would do if Harry simply appeared in his cabin. Harry smiled into the night; that would definitely be interesting.


	18. The First Task

Thanks to my beta who proof read my chapter. I think it was more spelling mistakes than usual, I'll try to be better next time. I really appreciate all suggestions, sometimes I forget that thinks that are clear to me isn't as clear to the reader. Thanks for helping.

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Eleanor traipsed from the bathroom dressed in her pajamas. The lights were already out in the first year girls' dormitory in Hufflepuff. Her best friends, Becky and Alora, were already in bed.

"Goodnight!" called Eleanor to the dark room, getting sleepy "Goodnight"s back. Eleanor could hear her friends moving about in their beds before stilling, their soft breaths filling the room.

Eleanor didn't fall asleep. She was sitting upright in her bed, her sheets wrapped around her shoulders to keep her warm.

It was in times like these, in the dark of the night, when she felt the most alone, the most afraid for shadows and nightmares. It was in times like these she missed her family the most. She felt the tears burning in her eyes, and in the covertness of night, she let them fall unhindered.

She hadn't told anyone about the abuse she suffered at the hands of the Slytherins. Becky and Alora only knew that they had teased her. Now that they had stopped, she didn't see any reason to tell anyone what had happened. The only ones who knew the truth were those Gryffindors.

They had saved her. She didn't know how they had done it or how they had healed her, but she was grateful that whatever they had done had kept the Slytherins away from her.

At first she had been mortified that they knew, but then she strangely realized that she didn't mind. It felt reassuring that someone else knew. They had saved her.

And they were friends with a Phoenix, a creature of hope and healing. She had looked it up in the library. Alora and Becky hadn't believed her, had said it was impossible. She had almost wanted to track those two Gryffindors to have them tell the truth, but she didn't dare.

Suddenly there was a noise by the window. She turned around and her miserable face split into a wondrous smile. There on the windowsill was a large bird, its golden plumage shining ethereally in the silver moonlight. Quickly she scrambled out of bed and opened the window. A gust of chilly December air made her shiver, but she smiled nevertheless when the Phoenix jumped in through the window, its wings bent awkwardly to fit. She closed the window, but left it unlocked.

"Ra!" she whispered in delight.

Ra cooed softly, buffing his head against her tear-streaked face.

"Oh, this? It's nothing." She sniffled and rubbed her face clean. She offered him a small smile. "Do you want something to eat?" she asked eagerly and turned towards her nightstand. "I have some chocolate frogs and pumpkin pastries…I don't really know what Phoenixes eat." She turned around with a chocolate frog in her hand. "The books didn't say anything about food," she said and hesitantly held out the frog to Ra. "Do you like chocolate frogs?"

Ra tilted his head sideways, looking at the frog before quickly picking it up and swallowing it. He chirped happily and flapped up in her lap. He trilled again and pecked at her drawer.

"You want another one then? Okay, but only one," she said and pulled out a second frog. The frog squirmed, but Ra easily caught it in his beak and swallowed it.

As Eleanor petted his soft feathers, Ra seemed almost to purr, his presence calming her. Suddenly she didn't feel so lonely anymore. "I'm so glad that you saved me that day – you and those two Gryffindors. I don't even know their names. I have seen them in the Great Hall sometimes; they are together with a black haired boy. Are they nice people?" she asked Ra, knowing that he was a friend of theirs. Ra nodded his head fervently. "I wanted to thank them, but I don't really dare because they are fourth years."

Ra cooed again, and somehow she knew he was trying to encourage her. "They were really brave though. Well, of course they were; they're Gryffindors. The Slytherins haven't touched me ever since…although, they stare at me sometimes," she confessed to her companion, remembering the uncertainty and fear she felt every time she caught any of the Slytherin staring at her.

This time Ra trilled a harsh note, and she could almost feel his anger. She tried to pet him again, to calm him, but he just flapped his wings. She could hear her friends stir in their beds.

"Shh, it's okay Ra, I'm staying clear of them, don't worry." Ra calmed again and chirped, his eyes looking concernedly into hers.

"Ely? What are you doing?" murmured Becky's voice from under her cover. There was some fumbling around, and then a light was switched on.

Ra suddenly spread his wings out and started to sing. The room was filled with the most beautiful melody before he took one swift jump to the window. With one foot he opened the window. The five other girls scrambled out of their beds just in time to see a large golden bird throw himself out into the dark night.

They all rushed to the window, trying to get a clear view of the beautiful bird that soared gracefully over the Hogwarts grounds, its golden wings shining in the moonlight, before he disappeared around the Gryffindor tower.

Becky turned, awestruck and speechless, to Eleanor. "Oh Ely, I'm so sorry I didn't believe you! A real Phoenix!"

"He was so beautiful!" whispered Alora in an admiring voice. "He's your friend?"

Eleanor smiled, looking out over the now empty grounds. "Yes, I think so."

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"I can't do this!" whispered Neville.

Harry turned around from his gazing at the crowds and looked at Neville. The boy looked horrible. He was white in the face and gripping his wand with clammy hands, If he wasn't sitting down on a barrel with dragon dung, Harry was sure he would be shaking.

"There is no way I can do this! I might as well give up now. They can give me zero points. It's not like a care," he continued in a low voice.

Harry noticed that his breathing came in short gasps. All in all he looked close to hyperventilating. With a soft sigh, he stepped up to Neville and kneeled in front of him.

"Listen Neville," he said in a patient voice, Neville looked up with desperation in his eyes. "I've seen you Neville. I've trained you myself. I know you can do this. Have you failed any of the spells these last days?"

Neville managed a small smile, "No, I haven't."

"Then what are you worrying about?" asked Harry and stood up. Neville followed and made an attempt to sort out his clothes. His eyes strayed towards the mass of students moving towards the Quidditch pitch. "I feel like I have something alive in my stomach, something that screams at me to run away," said Neville weakly, but he had started to regain some colour.

"That's your heart, warning you to keep living," said Harry and gave an excited laugh. Neville looked surprised at him. "You'll feel so alive out there Neville! The excitement, the rush of adrenaline, the knowledge you are facing a dragon! Won't that be something to tell the grandchildren," he said with a grin.

"I'm sure I'll feel all that afterwards – if I'm still alive." They saw Fleur bid farewell to her friends and enter the tent not far away. She looked tense and jumpy.

"I don't feel so brave right now," confessed Neville.

"You're a Gryffindor, but then again, there are different kinds of Gryffindors. To go against a dragon isn't the only kind of courage there is. I think that you are more of a Gryffindor that will always speak up for what's right. That takes courage too."

"But I'm not like that," said Neville and blushed, obviously remembering times when he had been quite selfish and mean.

"I'm trying to cheer you up. Don't ruin it," snapped Harry.

They saw Victor Krum step into the tent.

"You'll be fine Neville," said Harry finally and prepared to leave. "And if you were to screw up then you know that we are in the audience. What do you think we would do if you were about to be eaten?"

Neville blinked and looked at Harry. "You'd try and save me," he said.

"And do you think we would succeed?"

Neville studied Harry, taking in the poised way he stood, the fiery eyes, which shone with determination and power. Harry wasn't worried. At all.

"Yes, I do," he said finally. "I don't know how you would do it, but I know you somehow would."

"Like I said Neville, you've seen nothing yet," smirked Harry and waved Neville off. Neville watched him disappear, knowing that Harry was right. He still didn't know the extent of the trio's abilities, but he knew they were immense – far above any students in Hogwarts.

He remembered the first real lesson he had had with Harry, Ron and Hermione. They had been in the Room of Requirement talking about the first task. For some reason flying came up, and it had been a strange discussion whether or not he should perhaps outfly the dragon. Neville hadn't particularly liked the idea, but it didn't really matter – the discussion had yet again been fought and won without him. In the end Harry had suggested evasion and stealth, a strategy Neville wholeheartedly agreed with.

-Flashback-.

"If you were invisible, didn't smell, didn't make any sounds and perhaps disguised your magical signature, then you should be able to sneak past the dragon," said Harry, looking at Ron for confirmation.

Ron nodded and added, "Maybe also create some distraction for the dragon."

Neville, who had stood in front of them feeling pretty much like a student, cleared his throat. Harry and Ron turned at him. It was a bit eerie how their heads moved in perfect sync. "How will I do all that? I can do a silencing spell, but the others?"

Harry shook his head, almost looking insulted.

"That's why we're here dimwit. We'll teach you how to perform the invisibility charm…"

"Like the one you did yesterday?" asked Neville curiously.

"No, this is slightly more complicated, but if you fail to learn it we'll resort to the Disillusion charm. Now, the incantation is Inaspicuus." Harry raised his wand and waved it in a slashing movement around his body while shouting, "Inaspicuus!" Instantly he turned invisible, and Neville found himself looking around wildly, hoping to spot him.

He saw Hermione acting pretty much like himself. looking around aimlessly, while Ron was focusing at something to his left. He didn't know how Ron could tell, but suddenly he raised his arms and caught something invisible in his hand. The air shimmered and Harry appeared again, stuck in Ron's iron grip.

"See," said Harry in a teacher-like voice. "I was completely invisible, but I hadn't applied any silencing charms, and that's why Ron could hear me."

"In battle Neville, you must use all your senses," instructed Ron to Neville, who nodded, taking it all in.

"The incantation is Inaspicuus, pronounced In a spi cu us," said Hermione and showed the wand movement. "It might be easier if you close your eyes and imagine yourself invisible."

"And don't worry if you don't get it right straight away. This charm is above NEWT level, but it'll be worth it."

"Then how did…" Neville started to ask, but Hermione just motioned for him to start.

Neville raised his wand and brought it down as he closed his eyes, "Inaspicuus!" he shouted. He didn't feel any different, so he cracked open his eyes. Harry, Ron and Hermione were staring at him amusedly.

"Still visible," smirked Ron. "This is going to take awhile."

Seeing Neville's downtrodden look. Hermione quickly said, "Don't worry Neville, neither Harry nor Ron mastered this spell right away. You'll get it. Now try again!"

-End Flashback-.

Ron twirled his wand carelessly as he stared at the people by the stairs to one of the stands. His face had a contemplative air to it, Hermione noticed.

"What are you planning?" she asked suspiciously. She followed his gaze and saw the Lion's Pride.

"Nothing," answered Ron innocently.

Hermione just scoffed, "Really?" she said unbelievingly.

Ron didn't answer, but he started to walk over to the Gryffindors, causing Hermione to hurry after. _Stupid boys! Do they ever think things through? _She grumbled to herself as Ron called out to the Pride.

"Are you going to watch the task?"

"Isn't it obvious? Why would we be here otherwise," retorted Ginny in a slightly condescending voice. Matthew snorted at her side.

"Well, I just thought it odd, seeing as you three have gone out of your way to accuse Neville of having cheated his way in. Now you are going to watch him risk his life. Will it be satisfying?" asked Ron, his voice brimming with cynicism.

"Risk his life?" asked Matthew weakly, while the other two looked uncomfortable.

"Yes, forgot about that did you? Too busy punishing Neville to remember that he got entered in a lethal tournament? Some friends you are," said Ron scornfully.

By now they had attracted a small crowd. Students on their way to the stands stopped to eagerly watch the show. Ron didn't seem to notice this, or he simply didn't care and neither did the Pride.

"We didn't…" started Ginny but cut herself off and looked away with a frustrated face.

"What!" mocked Ron in a fake-shocked voice. "No accusations? No excuses?"

"We didn't know what to think okay!" spat Matthew. "We never had any secrets from each other, and Neville didn't tell us a thing!"

"He did, you just didn't listen. You were too prideful, too self-righteous, too stuck up to listen to reason. Just look at you, still trying to justify your actions, even when it's clear to everyone you abandoned your friend."

"He was welcome to come back anytime," defended Rose.

"Why should he be the one to come begging for forgiveness? That's your task, and I hope for your sake that Neville forgives you." Here is voice changed, loosing its anger and he stared at them, not really seeing them. "I once was like you, you know, arrogant, jealous, thinking I knew best. I abandoned Harry and Hermione when they needed me the most. I came back of course, later, and they took me back. Just like that. They should have turned me away, tortured me! Forced me to atonement!" He broke off with a dark laugh and glared briefly at Hermione. "But of course they didn't, they forgive. Always forgive, even though we don't deserve it." He looked at Rose, Ginny and Matthew. They stood awkwardly, properly chastised, but Ron wasn't finished yet.

"You need to forget your stupid pride and go back to Neville, before it's too late." Ron grew silent and looked expectantly at them. When they didn't move he growled at them and raised his wand. "Do I need to curse some sense into your thick skulls? Scram!"

Ginny took a hesitant step back and tried to drag Rose and Matthew with her. The other two seemed torn between arguing back or obeying.

"Come on, let's go," whispered Ginny hurriedly. Rose turned around, and with a last conflicted look at Ron, hurried away. The students wordlessly stepped aside for her, watching her shamelessly when she disappeared behind a tent. Matthew looked indecisive for a second, but when Ginny continued to pull at his clothes, he relented and they hurried away.

The moment they disappeared from view, whispers broke out as the crowd stared at Ron like he had grown two extra heads.

"Okay, show's over! Go on," shouted Hermione, who had up till now stood silently to the side. As the crowd started to disperse, she stepped up to Ron.

"Go on say it then," said Ron grumpily and looked at her with slightly feral eyes. Hermione simply lifted her left eyebrow at him. He was the same every month. Every time the full moon approached, he would get shorter and shorter temper. Whereas Remus became sickly and nervous before full moon, Ron became aggressive and confrontational. Hermione supposed it had something to do with Slypaw being an alpha and as such simply had to assert his authority.

Personally Hermione though Ron was quite hot when he lashes out with that sort of wild strength, even if it was rather detrimental to their efforts to stay unnoticed.

"And what should I say? You know perfectly well that you acted immature and stupidly, no need for me to say anything," she said in a blasé voice.

Ron just kicked the ground, muttering something Hermione chose to ignore. "I do wonder what Harry will say. You **have** preached the need to stay inconspicuous for some time now," she continued in a sardonic voice, ignoring his obvious bad mood.

"Oh shut up," snarled Ron. Hermione just shrugged and ignored him in favor of waving to Eleanor, who was chatting to her friends as they went for the stand next to their own. Eleanor gave a small embarrassed smile and waved back.

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Having cheered Neville up as best as he could without resorting to cheering charms, Harry started towards the Quidditch pitch. It would be nice to be the one to watch for a change.

"Hey Harry!" Spotting Rose, Ginny and Matthew running up to him, he stopped and stepped aside from the path. They were running fast, robes and scarves flying and hats clutched in their hands to prevent them from falling off. They came to an abrupt halt in front of him and, still out of breath, Matthew asked, "Have you seen Neville? He hasn't gone in yet?" His voice was hopeful and Harry, taking in their slightly flushed faces, shook his head.

"No he hasn't," he answered and added, smirking, "If you run really fast, you might be able to catch him." They nodded their quick thanks and hurried away. Wondering what could possibly have made them want to speak to Neville, he continued on his way.

Ron and Hermione were waiting for him at one of the stands, and Harry immediately noticed that Ron seemed unusually grumpy. He looked questioningly at Hermione who just rolled her eyes. Having gotten her message, he just put on a happy grin and swung his arm over Ron's shoulder. "Well, ready then? I'm really looking forward to be the one watching…for once," he said with a ridiculously exaggerated smile.

Ron's face grew darker for a second before a small smile chased away the forbidding look on his face.

"Come, let's go before all the seats are taken," said Hermione and led the way up the stairs. Just as they arrived to the top of the stands, they met with Rita Skeeter. She was dressed for the occasion in a screaming red dress and what looked like parrot feathers in her hair. In her hand she held her Quick Quotes quill and he was busy interviewing Frank Longbottom.

She looked up when the trio passed and got shifty when she noticed who they were. Harry caught her eyes and smiled at her. As they found their seats, Harry noted out of the corner of his eye how she wrapped her interview up and quickly left the stand.

"Harry!" A familiar voice calling him had him turn around. His godfather looked tired and sickly-looking. The bright daylight made him look almost transparent. "What are the odds that we'll both choose the same stand?" he said happily as he went to give Harry a one-armed hug. Almost immediately he let go of Harry as he turned to Ron and Hermione.

"You I have already met," he said to Ron and held out his hand. "Under less happy circumstances though," he said as Ron shook his hand. Remus suddenly froze and blinked owlishly at Ron, before hastily letting go and quickly turning to Hermione with a bit of a forced smile. Ron sent an unsettled glance at Harry, who looked equally worried.

"You must be Hermione. Harry has written a lot about you," said Remus, oblivious to Harry and Ron's behavior.

Hermione made a cute blush appear on her cheeks as she bashfully turned to Harry.

"Harry!" she said admonishingly. Harry had already schooled his features to fit into the conversation and mock glared at Remus.

"Only compliments I assure you miss," smiled Remus before winking at Harry.

Harry pretended he hadn't seen and asked Remus, "So how are you? You still working at that potions store?"

" No, got fired about three weeks ago. But I'm hoping to get a new job before Christmas." Harry nodded understandingly. After Christmas he wouldn't be able to hide his condition anymore because of that stupid Werewolf Registration Act.

At the same time, Frank Longbottom returned, his face pinched with worry. Harry hadn't had time to study his face before now. It felt really weird to see Frank Longbottom outside of a mental ward. He looked stressed and had a few grey hairs, but he was smiling and his eyes held life in them, which hadn't been present in their Frank Longbottom.

"Hey Frank, how did the interview with Rita go?" asked Remus with sardonic smile.

"As expected. That woman just gets nastier every day. I'm just grateful she was in a hurry to torture someone else."

"Hope she finds Crouch," said Remus darkly before smiling and gesturing to Harry and his friends. "This is my godson Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione."

Frank gave them a quick once over, "You two," he asked Harry and Ron, "are Ginny and Rose's brothers aren't you?" They nodded, and Frank smiled happily and held out his hand. "I'm very grateful that you at least stood by Neville these past weeks. I was worried when his friends didn't…"

"We were happy to, Mr. Longbottom. Neville is a great friend."

"So you are in the same year as Neville? Strange that I have never seen you before… Do you like school then?"

Harry recognized the kind of awkward question used to ask when they don't really know what to say and are not that interested in the answer. "Classes are too easy," he shrugged.

"Too easy you say, wait till you get to your OWL year. What do you think about Defense?" asked Frank.

Harry was a bit thrown at this non sequitur but answered nonetheless. "It's okay, I guess. The teacher is a bit strange though."

Frank gave a booming laugh and slapped his knee. "That's Mad-Eye for you! You know he was actually my mentor in auror training. Scared us half to death every morning with him barging through the door screaming, "We're under attack!" Has he done anything like that yet?" he asked eagerly.

They mutely shook their heads.

"Dumbledore wouldn't let him I guess. I'm hoping to catch him after the task. Now is no use. He'll be stalking around, altering between glaring at the dragons and all the foreigners running around here if I know him right."

"Oooh, I think it's starting now," shouted Hermione suddenly as she leaned over the railing. They all hurried to their seats, Harry quickly sitting down next to Remus.

They had a really good view over the once Quidditch fields; now someone had made a lot of rocks to stick up from the ground, and the grass seemed to have suddenly turned brown. It all looked very unfriendly.

Bagman stood up and made a rousing speech, which was partly drowned by a large roar when the first dragon was let into the arena. The Swedish short-snout let out another roar and shook its head fiercely as it glared at the audience.

"Oh sweet Merlin," moaned Frank from his side next to Remus. "Dragons! They are using dragons."

"I'm sure he'll be alright," consoled Remus. "See all those dragon handlers? They'll be able to help should something go wrong."

Frank didn't seem to listen, for he whispered, "Dragons! Has Dumbledore gone mad? They are dangerous." Harry thought he sounded almost exactly like Neville there. Like father like son.

They watched as Cedric was the first one to come out. He was quite good, managing to transfigure a dog and going for the egg when the dragon went for the dog. It only worked halfway, and they all winced as the dragon managed to hit Cedric with its fire.

"Did you tell Cedric about the dragons?" Ron asked Harry in the cover of the deafening applause for Cedric.

"Yes, at the time I didn't think he believed me, but it seems like he's done his research," answered Harry but didn't say anything more when he noticed that Remus had turned and seemed to be listening.

The next champion was Fleur Delacour, who had to face her Welsh Green. Harry looked interestedly as she somehow managed to make the dragon sleepy.

"She got him by the eyes," muttered Remus. He was half-standing in his seat, jumpy and nervous like every adult in the vicinity. It was like they were all just waiting for something to go wrong.

The only adults who weren't in the least worried were the trio. They were shouting and cheering just like everyone else.

Then came Krum, facing his Chinese Fireball. He managed to hit the dragon with a spell Harry recognized as borderline Dark. Remus and Frank seemed to recognize it too, because they were muttering darkly to each other.

Then it was Neville's turn. Frank paled dramatically when the huge Hungarian Horntail was let into the arena. "I only taught him offensive spells for this!" he moaned. The dragon roared and swiped his spiked tail along the ground, whipping up a cloud of dust. "I have to get down there!" shouted Frank suddenly and hurried down the stairs.

The others stayed put and waited for Neville to appear. He did, looking so small, far down on the ground.

"Come on Neville, show us what you've learned," murmured Harry before letting off a loud cheer for Neville.

Neville didn't seem to notice the crowd as he stared, momentarily stunned, at the dragon. Then he whipped out his wand and flicked it. No one could hear what he was saying so everyone exclaimed in surprise when he suddenly vanished.

"Good Neville!" Harry could hear Hermione whisper from her place beside Ron. They all watched the scene, trying to see anything, but it was all for nothing. The dragon stared suspiciously at the place Neville had disappeared at. The seconds ticked by and suddenly there was a murmur from the audience.

The golden egg had started to float as if by itself!

Everyone watched breathlessly at how the egg quickly made its way towards the other side of the arena. But when it was only a couple of yards away, the dragon noticed the floating egg and gave a furious roar.

The egg fell to the ground, and it was clear to everyone what must have happened. Neville must have tripped and dropped the egg, only ten feet from the finishing line.

Ron groaned at his side, "What will he do now? We never thought he actually would drop the egg!"

"I'm sure he'll think of something," murmured Hermione anxiously.

But it looked hopeless, the egg was out of the dragons reach, who had tried to put it back to its nest. But it wasn't out of reach for its fire, something that became painfully clear as the dragon breathed fire at the egg every time it so much as twitched.

"Look at that!" said Ron suddenly. Harry, who didn't have Ron's eyesight, wordlessly lifted his omnioculars and zoomed in on the egg. Only that it now was two! One more appeared, and then another one. More and more golden eggs kept popping up so that Harry had no idea which was the real one. The dragon didn't seem to know either and roared angrily when suddenly all the eggs were banished in every direction.

The dragon tried to catch all of them and didn't notice one of the eggs bounding towards the finishing line. And over.

The crowds burst out in thunderous applause as a shocked but grinning Neville turned visible again and raised the golden egg high above his head.

"So clever! I'm impressed," praised Harry as they waited for Neville's points to be announced.

"Me too," agreed Remus. "It was an impressive show, and this is only the beginning."

"Will you come for the second task?" asked Harry hopefully.

Remus smiled apologetically and shook his head. "Afraid not, it's after Christmas."

"But it's nowhere near the full moon," objected Ron.

For the first time since Harry had met him, Remus lost his composure. He visibly jerked and stared at Ron, suddenly appearing very self-conscious.

"You know?" he whispered, looking at all three of them.

"We know Mr. Lupin, we don't mind. Harry has said you're a good person and we believe him," said Hermione kindly, watching him keenly.

Remus seemed at loss for words for a second before collecting himself and staring bemusedly at them, "You three really are something." He shook his head, "Amazing. You don't mind that I am…a werewolf." The last word was whispered so low that even Ron had trouble hearing it.

"No we don't," said Ron. "And we are still figuring out a way to convince everyone else about that fact."

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The Great Hall that night was abuzz with the events of the first task. Neville shone with happiness – he was reunited with his friends, the hostility against him had lessened to some degree and he had survived the first task. The Gryffindor table was by far the loudest and boisterous one, closely followed by the Hufflepuff table.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had yet again faded to the background, but not before Neville had thanked them for their help. He had invited them to sit with the Pride during the dinner, but they had declined.

They ended up with Fred and George instead, not that they were much fun to be around at the moment. They were huddled closely together, whispering over a paper.

"Stupid git," muttered George. "It's only 200 galleons, he is a department head!"

"Lee's dad has also had problem getting the money, but I reckon he has a bigger chance then we do," replied Fred.

Ron who had been listening in on the whispered conversation, leaned over the table and inquired innocently, "Who owes you money?"

"None of your business, little brother," said Fred and quickly hid the parchment.

"Are you also having trouble getting money out of Bagman?" asked Harry, startling the twins.

Fred and George looked at each other for a moment before, in a low voice, telling them the story how they had won the bet against Bagman and then had been paid back with leprechaun gold.

"He keeps avoiding us," said George angrily.

"Maybe we can help," said Ron thoughtfully.

"And how would you do that? The man didn't even want to admit that he owed us money."

"We have friends who are of age and can help us. We'll get back to you in a couple of weeks."

The twins didn't look much reassured by this. Then again, the promise to extract money from a stingy department head didn't mean much from a couple of fourteen year olds.

And three fourteen year olds couldn't do much. Fire, Ice and Chaos, on the other hand, could. Their three alter egos would soon be playing the roles of their older, secret, allies. Persons who would steer the suspicions away from Harry, Ron and Hermione when they soon started to act.

They left the Great Hall with everyone else, but suddenly Harry stopped and stared thoughtfully towards the kitchen. At first Ron and Hermione didn't understand what he was looking at until they spotted the mass of Hufflepuffs moving towards the basement. Harry gripped something in his pocket before making his way towards the Hufflepuffs.

Ron and Hermione understood what he was doing and together they started to look for the little girl, Eleanor.

"There she is," said Ron, "Hey Eleanor!" called Ron and they hurried over. Eleanor stopped and stared wide-eyed at them. Before they had time to say anything though, Cedric Diggory appeared between them and Eleanor, his tall frame towering over them, making them feel like skinny teenagers.

"What do you want with Eleanor?" he asked in a protective voice.

"We just want to talk to her. She'll be okay," said Hermione.

Cedric glanced at Eleanor. "They're not troubling you are they?" he asked, concerned.

Eleanor quickly shook her head, "No, they are nice to me. I'll be coming soon," she said. Cedric nodded curtly towards her and continued after his other Hufflepuffs.

"He's like a mother hen," snorted Harry.

Eleanor glared at him. "Cedric is very nice. He helps everyone," she said defensively and proudly.

"I know, and you'll never hear me say anything bad about him," said Harry seriously before smiling at her. "We haven't met properly. I'm Harry Potter." He held out his hand and she shook it apprehensively. "I have longed to meet you, the little Hufflepuff who both my friends here and Ra have taken under their wings," he said in a friendly voice.

She blushed slightly and turned to look at Ron and Hermione.

"We have been thinking a lot about you these past days," said Hermione and glanced at Harry. "Poor Ra was beside himself with worry for you. If he could, he would probably be tailing you all the time."

"Really? I've already met him once! He came visiting me last night! You think he'll come again?"

"I don't see why not," said Harry. "He's taking a liking to you, in fact." He put his hand inside his pocket and pulled put a small pendant. "He wanted me to give this to you," he said as he gave it to her. She turned it over in her hand. It was a beautiful pendant, shaped as a golden Phoenix in flight.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

"It is, but that is not all it is. This, Eleanor, is a magic pendant. You must wear it at all times, and if you're ever in danger, touch it and call for Ra and he will come."

She nodded seriously and managed to fasten it around her neck. It wasn't heavy at all, but she could still feel its weight around her neck, somehow reassuring her.

"We three, as well as Ra, will keep an eye on you," said Ron kindly and prepared to leave.

"Thank you," she called after them, and they waved, but her next words had them stop and grin to each other. "But how could a Phoenix get hold of a pendant?" she asked in befuddlement.

"Magic," Harry called back, "Apart from that I have no idea. Ask him when you see him next!"

"Bye Eleanor!"

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Pyotr Tokovsky, infamous headmaster of the equally infamous Durmstrang Institute, was sitting in his cabin office onboard the Felesége Fehér. His owl had finally arrived with the Napi Pletyka. The newspaper was three days old, but news was never that interesting anyway. After having read about the latest blunder of minister Lónyay, he carelessly tossed the paper on the fire. Leaning back in his chair he thought back to the afternoon.

He had really enjoyed the dragons, especially the Hungarian Horntail. He had met one himself a couple of years back and was impressed that Longbottom had managed to pass it. He had assumed, like everyone else, that the boy wouldn't be a match for the dragon. To be fair he had expected the famous Boy-who-lived, defeater of Lord Voldemort, to be a little more…impressive. After have seen the boy, he had to admit that he was just an ordinary boy. No extraordinary talents or powerful magic – just a plain ordinary boy.

Which made it even more astonishing that he had managed to trick the dragon.

"He must have had help," he muttered out loud to his office.

"What makes you think that?" a bodiless voice answered.

Pyotr rushed up from his chair and pointed the wand to where the voice had come from – only to find nothing. He was tense now. It was impossible to enter his room without permission; he knew he was dealing with someone not to underestimate. Was it only his imagination, or had the room gotten darker?

Wordlessly he cast Officio, and the darkening shadows drew back, revealing a man standing by the bookshelf. Far away from the door, Pyotr noted. How did he get in?

The man was dressed in what seemed like dueling robes, with a black cloak and black gauntlets. The face was partly hidden by a hood, but Pyotr could see that the man had dark skin.

Cautiously he trained his wand on the stranger. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to meet you," said the man simply. It was a young voice. "You're a well-known man Mr. Tokovsky, I was curious." With that the man swept off his hood, revealing a young face with dark skin. Complete with the black hair, dark eyes and shadows lazily swirling around him, he simply screamed Dark wizard.

Figuring he would be dead already if the man was after his life, Pyotr lowered his wand and sat down at his desk. Never letting go of his wand, he motioned for the stranger to sit down on the opposite chair.

"Can I offer you something, trespassing stranger? Tea? Beer? Whiskey? Vodka?" he asked in his usual voice as if he always had unknown people appear in his office.

"A whiskey would be nice," said the stranger perfectly at ease as he sat down in the chair, looking serenely at Pyotr. It unnerved him slightly to see someone not intimidated by his broad, 6.8 foot frame. But despite his feelings of danger, he poured up two glasses of fire-whiskey, the only thing the Englishmen got right, and sat down again.

"Do you have a name to offer me?" he asked when had put down their glasses again. The man glanced at him and smirked. Pyotr knew that he wouldn't get the real name.

"My associates call me Chaos. You might as well use it too."

"Chaos? Any story to that name?" asked Pyotr lightly as he sipped on his whiskey, carefully studying the man in front of him.

"Several. My life has been rather…exciting. Very much like your own. The kingdom of Zavodski also has an interesting story behind it I guess?"

"Very unfair my friend. You know something about me, but I know nothing about you," retorted Pyotr.

The man snorted lightly. "Clearly I live for fairness," he answered but continued, "Ask me something then, though I might not answer."

Pyotr was silent for a moment, before he finally asked, "How did you get in here? It is impossible to cross the wards unless you are keyed in."

"I cheated. Don't worry no one besides me will be able to do it."

This didn't exactly reassure Pyotr, and he didn't fail to notice that the man hadn't answered his question. "How did you enter Hogwarts then? Unless you're already a member of its staff," he said as the thought occurred to him. He wouldn't put it past the sneaky headmaster to have someone check him out. That old auror possibly – just some Polyjuice potion and Pyotr would never know.

Harry enjoyed the easy banter the Durmstrang headmaster offered. The man was as interesting as anyone he had ever met – born in Hungary but had traveled Eastern Europe through all its wars and revolutions. The man was bound to have picked up some interesting traits. Legendary for his craftiness and ability to run around powerful enemies, he was accused of over 537 offences against the statute of secrecy and wanted in five countries. Harry smiled; this man was even more interesting than himself.

"I'm not a member of Hogwarts staff, but I have my ways of coming and going, without Dumbledore knowing," Harry said, guessing what the headmaster was thinking and continued, "My contemporaries find it prudent to know what goes on in one of the greatest magic schools."

"Hogwarts' greatness can be debated," retorted Tokovsky more out of obligation for his own school than anything else. "And who are your friends then? And why would they find such interests in an ordinary school?"

Harry tensed in anticipation; this was one of the reasons he had came here tonight – to find out in which camp the headmaster resided in. In front of him the Headmaster tensed slightly as he felt Harry's magic become more tangent in the air. _So he is perceptive_, mused Harry appreciatively. "I'm a member of a group that has tasked itself with the protection of the peace."

"Knights of the glorious Light then?" asked the headmaster, and Harry noted a hint of disdain in his voice.

"Not really," answered Harry lightly as he twirled his glass in his hand, watching the golden liquid swirl around. "We are only concerned about our perception of peace, and we have not much tolerance for those who oppose us or break our rules. We have killed. We have tortured." He looked eyes with the headmaster, who stared at him with fascination.

"And what rules do you live by then?"

"We do not harm innocents. Everyone else is fair game." Harry remembered how that had been their guiding light during the war – the one thing to ensure that they stayed on that narrow line that was the grey in between Light and Dark, protecting them from madness and martyrdom. "We were once called the dark protectors of the light, but then again that was before, when we were still an army. We are few left now, but our duty remains." He couldn't help the emotions filling his voice when he thought back to what had once been. They had been so proud, his army, his soldiers – so willing to fight, to sacrifice everything to protect their own, to protect that that was the Army.

"I've never heard of anything like that before," said the headmaster in a doubting voice.

"I'm not surprised," said Harry, easily weaving in the lie he had agreed upon with the others. "We have been inactive for a very long time."

"So why are you appearing again then, and if you are as few as you say, what can you possibly accomplish? I have seen wars and revolution, boy, and they are fought with blood. Countless lives will be called upon to fight, and that's the only thing that matters. In the end raw strength is the only thing that matters."

"We know things are happening here in England. The war is starting again. Lord Voldemort is about to rise to power again and we intend to stop him."

"I had heard rumors about that since the world cup," said the headmaster as he sat quite still, contemplating the news. "Can't say that I'm all that happy about it. The man is dangerous, bad news to my kedvesem Hungary."

"Bad news to England as well. That's why we are gathering our defense, for now."

"And why are you telling me this? What if I were to blab to a Death Eater? Are you perhaps hoping to recruit me? Because I'm not interested in helping some fools fighting another glorious war of liberation."

Harry shook his head. He hadn't expected the man to join them anyway. He had known it from the second the man spoke that he would only protect what was his or for his own gain. "We don't need you. I only came here for my own pleasure. Like I said Mr. Tokovsky you intrigued us, and we simply just had to meet you." With that he inclined his head to the man and, with a thought, extinguished the lights in the small cabin.

The sudden darkness allowed him to remerge with the shadows that had so lovingly embraced him before. The darkness swallowed him, filling the room with his presence. The man swore and raised his wand, but before he had time for a single spell Harry hissed, close to his ear.

"Be aware though, Pyotr Tokovsky, that if you cross us, we will find you. And when we do, death will come swift," he hissed, causing his words to remain as an echo even long before he had left the room.

He emerged from the shadow under the door just as the light returned in the room, destroying the means of stealth he had had.

The narrow corridor however was still shrouded in darkness, and he easily slipped inside his wolf form. Traceless quickly hid among the shadows, vanishing like a ghost would. The light from a wizard's wand could catch him as much as it could catch a shadow; he simply slipped away.

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Giggle. Giggle.

Blushing.

More giggles.

"Who do you wanna go with?"

Blushes.

Covert glances.

"If Dingle asks me, I'll jump from the astronomy tower!"

More giggles.

_Has every Gryffindor been turned into Lavender and Parvati? _wondered Ron, aggravated as he stared glumly over the common room. People were sitting in little clusters, whispering eagerly to each other. Ron noticed the Lion's Pride, this time including Neville, sitting by the fireplace. Apparently they had apologized to Neville before the first task, Neville had forgiven them, and they were now as tight knit as ever. One would think that Neville was a bit too quick to forgive, but Ron didn't. The ability to forgive was one of Harry's greatest traits after all and a trait which Ron had many a time been grateful for.

_If I hear another giggle, I'll…_

Giggle.

Ron groaned and sank lower in the fauteuil.

It was the twelfth of December and the Yule ball had just been announced – and had subsequently turned all of Hogwarts inhabitants into giggling immature teenagers.

Pretty much like he and Harry had been when they were fourteen. Without the giggles of course. He really liked that they were all more mature now. No need for romantic drama or awkward dates. And he didn't miss it one bit!

Just then Hermione came swooping down and landed in his lap, her arms quickly circling his neck. Her eyes sparkled with mirth and her mouth seemed set in a permanent smile. "You can never guess who just asked me to be his date," she said with a tittering laugh.

A thousand different feelings and thoughts sped through Ron's mind so quickly that he couldn't decipher any. It was a lucky thing that Hermione was sitting in his lap; otherwise Ron would already be hexing the poor bloke trying to ask out **his girl**.

"Anthony Goldstein!" said Hermione when Ron didn't say anything. "He was so cute, he came over to my table in the library. I think he noticed my books on warding because he started to talk about different kinds of wards. Then he asked me out. He blushed very prettily," said Hermione with a small laugh.

Ron honestly didn't know what to say or do. One part of him wanted to hide Hermione away, never letting her see another boy except him and Harry. Another, equally strong part, wanted her to be as happy as possible and if that involved letting her date other boys then so be it. He knew he would fight to keep Hermione, but he also knew that Hermione wouldn't consent to be hidden away. So in the end he settled for measly saying, "And what did answer him?"

Hermione gave him a funny look. "I told him I couldn't, of course. Why? Were you worried?" she asked with a small teasing smile.

Ron answered by hugging her tightly before pushing her off him and standing up. She smiled bemusedly up at him when Ron bowed elegantly in front of her.

"Dear Hermione, would you like to be my date at the Yule ball?" he asked as he straightened up.

Hermione's face lit up, and she threw herself into Ron's arms. "Yes! Yes! I want to. I never thought you were going to ask!"

Ron spun her around and looked at her bemusedly. "I thought it was obvious that we were going to go together."

"But I wanted you to ask. Honestly, you are as bad as Harry. A girl wants romance in a relationship."

"I know that, I just didn't know **you** wanted it," joked Ron and kissed her.

"You don't waste any time do you Ron?" asked Neville teasingly. He and the rest of the Pride had been ogling Ron and Hermione's rather intense kissing. Hermione and Ron broke away from each other and faced Neville, Hermione still leaning against Ron.

"Don't want her to get stolen away," smiled Ron and took Hermione's hand.

"How about you then? Any date yet?" asked Hermione. The question was mostly directed at Neville since the trio was still a bit cold towards Ginny, Matthew and Rose, never mind that Neville had forgiven them long ago.

"We don't need to," answered Matthew in a shrewd voice. "We have already planned everything out. Neville will go with Ginny and I will go with Rose. That way all of us will be able to go."

"And we don't have to actually ask a girl," said Neville as if the entire concept scared him.

"Cleverly though out," praised Hermione. "But what will you do if some cute boy asks Rose out?"

"I'll say no of course. We are a team and the Pride always comes first," said Rose proudly before realizing what she had said and threw a sheepish look at Neville. Neville just grinned and flicked her nose.

"Well I can ask Rose out now, then I won't have to worry," said Matthew and bowed to Rose in an imitation of Ron's bow. "Dear Rose, would you like to be my date at the Yule ball?"

Rose thoughtfully tapped her chin and stared at him. "Hmm…maybe. Will you give me flowers?" she asked mockingly.

"Thousands!" said Matthew, opening his arms wide, "Red roses, white lilies, yellow tulips, every flower you can think of!" said Matthew in an eager and enthusiastic voice.

"Well, then I guess I'll be your date," said Rose finally.

"Yes!" shouted Matthew and high-fived Neville.

"Um Ginny? Do you want to go to the ball with me?" asked Neville hurriedly to Ginny.

"Hey you didn't bow!" interrupted Matthew.

"I don't have to, no one says I have to bow!" snapped Neville, blushing slightly.

"Yes I would like to be your date, Neville," answered Ginny hurriedly and gave Neville a quick kiss on the cheek. Neville blushed again while Matthew made a gagging sound. This time even Ginny blushed.

"Honestly!" complained Rose. "You are so immature! Why do I have to go with you to the ball! Ron's much more romantic. He's a real gentleman!" She turned eagerly to Hermione. "Don't suppose you wanna trade dates?" she asked hopefully.

Hermione clung closer to Ron and wrapped her arms around his neck possessively. "And lose the only remotely romantic boy in Hogwarts? No way!" she smirked.

Rose mock scowled, "Thought you wouldn't. Come on Ginny, we have not even two weeks to make these two dunderheads the perfect dates."

"Oh, we are only going as friends!" objected Matthew. He was promptly drowned out by Rose and Ginny's giggles.

"But I want a romantic date," said Ginny in a determined voice. And with that she and Rose dragged a dejected Neville and a rebellious Matthew with them.

"I wonder, is it custom to bow when asking for a date?" asked Hermione.

Ron shrugged. "Not anymore. The old pureblood families still practices it, I think."

"I think it is romantic," sighed Hermione.

"Then I guess Ron will have to remember it then," came Harry's voice from behind. They spun around and Harry smiled.

"Stealing Hermione now, are we?"

"First come, first served," smiled Ron kindly. "You wanna come upstairs?"

Harry nodded, and they all hurried upstairs. The moment they had crawled inside Harry's four poster bed and had warded the hangings, Harry curled up close to Ron and Hermione.

"Who are you going to ask to the ball, Harry?" asked Hermione. She felt a bit sad that she wouldn't be able to go with both of her boys.

"You'll see," said Harry in an almost purring voice, happy to be able to just cuddle with his lovers. They hadn't had much time for that the last weeks.

"How did the meeting with the headmaster go then?"

"It went fine. I think I freaked him out a bit," said Harry and, growing sleepier and sleepier, he described the meeting for Ron and Hermione. When he was finished, they were silent for a bit before Harry murmured, "I liked him."

"Well he definitely seemed more fun than Karkaroff," commented Ron. Harry never answered though. He had already fallen asleep.

"Oh my," whispered Hermione. "What made him so tired?" He hadn't even taken off his clothes.

"Let him sleep," whispered Ron with a small smile and planted a kiss on Harry's lips. He carefully pulled off Harry's shirt and trousers before pulling the blanket over them both. "You think anyone will notice if you don't go back to the girls' dorm?" he asked Hermione.

Hermione looked indecisive for a moment before shrugging and pulling off her jumper. "I wouldn't care either way," she decided and kicked her trousers off before hurriedly crawling under the blanket Ron had held up for her.

They quickly curled close together to create some warmth with Harry in the middle, Hermione and Ron protectively at his sides.

"Goodnight loves," whispered Hermione, getting two sleepy "goodnight"s back.

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"_Crucio!" _

_Pain! PAIN! His body was in agony! Searing hot knifes pierced his skins. He twisted trying to get away from the pain that was killing him but to no avail. It was pain past endurance. He screamed!_

And suddenly he woke up. Disoriented he got out of his bed, fell to the floor and started to retch. Nothing came up but there was a bad taste in his mouth.

He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead to the cold stone floor. His body still shook from the nightmare, even though the pain was gone.

_It had never been there idiot!_ He berated himself.

Dreams couldn't hurt you.

But still…

Sluggishly he got up and sat on his bed, his head resting in his hands.

He had had that dream every night for a week now. It kept coming back. Always the same thing. Someone yells Crucio. Then there is pain. He shuddered.

He never sees who cast the curse. Just hears that cold, merciless voice.

The dream kept returning every night, no matter what he did. He started to suspect it wasn't only a dream but rather a memory.

But it couldn't be, he would have remembered if someone had cast a Crucio on him.

"_Crucio." The pain was too much! He couldn't breath! Couldn't think! Couldn't run! He could only scream. Scream and scream! _

No, it was a memory. Someone had Crucioed him and then obliviated him, only leaving the memory of the pain left.

Aloysius Crouch felt fear and anger fill him. Who had done it?

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So chapter 18 finished, a bit quicker than chapter 17 had been. This last part got added in the last minute. I hadn't planned on showing what had happened to the Slytherins but I figured I would be getting many questions about it so I added it. Hermione obliviated them but cast a spell that would make sure they would relive the memory of the pain in their dreams. Over and over again.

In the part with the Durmstrang Headmaster I added a few words in Hungarian, or Magyar as I think it is called. I don't speak Hungarian so I apologize to all who does if I totally mangled the language.

Hope you enjoyed the reading.


	19. The Yule ball

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The Forbidden forest was a rather nice place in the daytime, beautiful even. Some would even agree it was nice place in the night too. Those who braved the forest and knew the way of the night would meet some spectacular beings.

Tonight the Forbidden forest was covered with a fluffy layer of new-fallen snow. It dampened all sounds to the dismay of all prey but light from the full moon reflected by the snow made up for the slight disadvantage in sound. The forest was lit up like daytime, revealing a frozen fairytale land.

In a clearing not far away from Hogwarts was the Thestral herd. They stood close together with the foals in the middle, smoke rising to the sky from dozens of muzzles as they slept through the bitter cold.

Sleep also prevailed among the Acromantulas; the entire colony was in hibernation till summer. Even the Centaurs were asleep tonight, except for a sleepy watch, who kept looking to the sky, deep in thought; the Libra constellation were still shining brightly even though it wasn't supposed to, and none of the Centaur elders knew why.

The only inhabitants of the forest that weren't asleep lived in the north. In a small cave at the foot of the mountains lived a clan of trolls, currently trying, with little success, to light a fire. They ended up throwing stones at each other instead. Their shouts of anger echoed over the trees before they were drowned out by another sound, which had the forest dwellers to hide in their holes.

A feral howl echoed over the forest – a ferocious challenge to anyone who heard.

An indignant squawk from an owl followed, the owl watched as the werewolf she had been playing with suddenly took off towards the southern part of the forest. She hooted in question and took after him. Underneath her someone else had taken up chase, moving so swiftly the only thing to be seen was a shadow flicking in and out between the trees.

A glint of silver ahead of them and they had caught up with Slypaw. The werewolf took no notice of them, and when Traceless burst out from the shadows to tackle him, he just threw him aside. Traceless got slammed into a tree trunk and landed heavily on the ground. Shakily he got up and growled angrily, but the werewolf was already gone.

Then a pained bellow and sounds of fighting reached them. Traceless tensed in recognition and rushed towards the scuffle. Flicking from shadow to shadow took mere seconds, and he burst out into the light again.

Hagrid had fallen to the ground and was doing his best to keep a snarling Slypaw away from him. He kept the werewolf's sharp teeth away with the help of a small log, but he fared rather badly against the sharp claws. Slypaw snarled and growled and, with a mighty tug, broke the log. Hagrid's eyes widened as the werewolf closed in again.

Suddenly, the werewolf was thrown away. Hagrid stumbled up and saw what had forced away the werewolf. Another, smaller wolf had attacked from the shadows and now positioned himself protectively between Hagrid and the werewolf.

The werewolf growled angrily and stalked forward, causing the smaller wolf to crouch low, pull back his ears and show his teeth in warning. This seemed to incense the werewolf as he stood up on his hind legs and raised his fur.

For a few moments the stalemate lasted for a few minutes before the werewolf attacked, determined to reassert his authority. They clashed halfway in a furious fight with teeth and claws tearing at each other. This time it was not at all like their previous fights, where they would tumble around playfully, losing and winning equally. No – this time it was more of a furious battle for dominance, and Traceless was giving his all.

Hagrid watched speechless as the two canines tumbled around, leaving reds of blood on the white snow. Suddenly he jumped when an owl swooped down at him, hooting angrily. He stumbled backwards as it flapped her wings and attempted to claw at his face. He took another step back, and she let off on her attack. Settling heavily on a branch, she glared at him, letting him understand that he was not welcome there.

As the wolves continued to fight noisily in the undergrowth, Hagrid quickly left the scene under the baleful watch of the white owl. As soon as the half-giant was gone, she turned her attention to the fighting wolves and, with a small jerk of her neck, turned back into human form. Perched precariously on the branch, she brought out her wand.

It wasn't often she had seen Traceless and Slypaw fight like this; they usually got along fine. They were equally matched – Slypaw's raw strength against Traceless' power over shadows. He used the shadows right now, both when he needed a reprieve and to trap Slypaw.

"Traceless!" she called. The two fighters were momentarily distracted by the unexpected voice and the fight slowed. "I need some space!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Traceless disappeared into the shadows, leaving an agitated Slypaw behind. Hermione acted quickly and waved her wand. "Saepio!" She put more power than usual in the spell, and four high walls rode around Slypaw. The second Slypaw was safely contained, Traceless appeared from the shadows. He stumbled a bit before changing back, and a panting Harry was standing in front of her. He was in bad shape, bleeding from various wounds and cuts, and his arm hung limply at his side. He glanced at her briefly, ignored her concerned look, before turning towards the high wall. From inside they could hear Slypaw shuffling around, scratching at the walls and howling.

"What happened to you boy?" murmured Harry concernedly and put his hand towards the wall. Slypaw replied to the human speech with a chilling howl.

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The day after, everyone noticed that the Trio was tired. Of the various cuts, bruises and sprained bones nothing remained thanks to healing potions. The scars from the werewolf healed slowly though and was hidden under a glamour. However, the tiredness remained, and worst off was Ron. He looked like the living dead despite having a strong glamour over him. He would really have needed to stay in bed today, but they did not dare, not when there had been a witness to yesterday's excursion to the forest.

"I don't understand what happened," whispered Harry harshly, watching Ron shakily downing his third cup of coffee. "You have never acted like that before, not even when humans have been attacking you. You have always managed to have some control."

"No, it's Slypaw who is usually more docile. Yesterday he was…I don't know, not angry."

"He saw Hagrid as prey," whispered Hermione. "Nothing unusual there. It was when Traceless tried to stop you everything went to hell."

"I don't know what happened," groaned Ron. "Slypaw somehow interpreted it as a challenge, and you know Slypaw; he always wants to be the Alpha."

Harry would've smiled and joked, but it really didn't fit the mood.

"Do you guys think you can get through the day?" asked Hermione in concern.

"Have to," said Harry and stole a sip from Ron's fourth cup of coffee. "Feels like I've been ripped apart and crudely put together with tape. Thanks a lot Ron," he added with a small attempt at a joke.

Ron completely missed it though and looked a bit ashamed. "Sorry Harry, I…"

"Don't worry about it love," whispered Harry and a put a calming hand on his thigh. "It's in the job description." Ron cracked a small smile this time and leaned heavily towards Hermione.

"I don't think I'll be able to get through this day," he said in a monotone. Hermione kissed him softly on his forehead.

"If you don't, you can try some of the Twins experiment candy. That'll excuse you from the lessons…or I could curse you so have to go to the hospital wing."

Ron didn't even deign this an answer. He looked like he had fallen asleep on Hermione's shoulder.

"This day is going to be long," sighed Hermione as she stroked his hair.

"I know what you mean," said Harry, and glanced at Ron who had started to drool.

"May I have your attention please!" Dumbledore's voice called out in the Great Hall. Attention turned to the Head Table, where Dumbledore had stood up.

"Before you all hurry away to your educative lessons, I have a few words." He was silent for a moment, and Harry thought that the headmaster hesitated, but when he continued his voice was strong. "Those who are good at Astronomy know that the full moon was up yesterday, and the Forbidden forest was visited by a werewolf. Our groundskeeper Hagrid had a little run in with the werewolf." Here Dumbledore hesitated again, and Harry started to realize why. Loud murmurs broke out all over the hall. "He is in the hospital wing being patched up, no worries. He is perfectly fine," Dumbledore assured the students. Harry noticed that not all whispers were out of concern for Hagrid.

"Contrary to common belief, werewolves are not dangerous to our society. They are not evil creatures, but as werewolves they forget everything about their human lives. It can be very dangerous to meet a werewolf during the full moon. Now, the Forbidden forest is normally a forbidden area for all students even though this rule is sometime disregarded." Here he looked seriously at the students, his blue eyes authoritative. "I don't want any students in the forest under any circumstances. I trust you all understand this rule and why it is enforced?"

Nods were seen everywhere, and Dumbledore smiled. "Good. Now off you go, you have things to learn. Chop chop."

"That was… a dangerous speech," said Hermione thoughtfully as she stared at the Headmaster.

"No kidding!" said Harry harshly. "There are million of ways that could have been misinterpreted! Saying that werewolves are dangerous in times when the ministry is voting for anti-werewolf bills!"

"What else could he have done? All he knows is that a werewolf attacked Hagrid; he had to warn the students," said Hermione.

"And did he have to go on about how mindless werewolves are? It's like he wants people to fear werewolves."

"Well to be fair; werewolves are rather mindless during the full moon," said Hermione patiently and continued in a reprimanding voice, "Now you're only looking to discredit Dumbledore."

Harry's sullen silence was all the proof she needed, and seeing as Ron was half asleep and Harry was sulking, Hermione took charge. She made Ron drink a pepper-up potion, which succeeded in making him wake up enough to move to their next class by himself.

Their first lesson was Transfiguration, which was a trial. Despite the pepper-up potion, Ron was almost dead on his feet. It was a testament of his strength and stubbornness that he was able to stay awake, but he was unable to transfigure his hamster. McGonagall gave him contemplating looks despite Harry and Hermione's attempts at covering for him.

During their first break, they visited Hagrid in the Hospital wing. He looked awfully out of place in the small hospital bed, which creaked ominously every time he moved. His arm and shoulder were wrapped in bandages, but part from that, he looked healthy and lit up when he saw them.

Eagerly he told them about his encounter with the werewolf and about the smaller wolf and the peculiar owl.

"But that's the Forbidden forest for yea. Never know what yea might run into."

"So the smaller wolf was protecting you against the werewolf?" asked Hermione.

"Yeah, pretty lucky too because it was a strong werewolf. Not very big but one of the most ferocious I've ever come across."

Ron, who had been staring unblinkingly at the curtain, suddenly blinked at what Hagrid had said. "Really! Ferocious? Would you say he was stronger than the little wolf?" he asked eagerly with a grin directed towards Harry. Harry snorted and smiled for the first time that day.

"That's not really the point Ron!" said Hermione disapprovingly. "Hagrid was injured!"

"Not too bad," Hagrid was quick to insert. "Madam Pomfrey said I would be able to leave for dinner. I dare say I look better than Ron," he said and glanced at Ron's disheveled appearance, which the glamour hadn't been able to hide completely.

"Slept bad tonight. Maybe it was the full moon," said Ron without batting an eye. "I'm looking forward to History of Magic, so I can catch up on some sleep," he added with a smile.

They talked little more before they left for their next lesson.

Ron did catch up on some sleep during History of Magic – so much in fact that they had trouble waking him up. In the Great Hall for lunch, they discovered just how much Dumbledore's words had affected the students. Everywhere they could hear students talking about the events, and they noticed that the students seemed to be divided into two camps. Many of those who believed that werewolves were evil had lost people to the werewolves and were very firm in their beliefs. Those who believed werewolves to be okay were sadly in the minority.

_I hope this won't affect Remus,_ thought Harry worriedly as he watched Rose involved in a heated argument with a Ravenclaw boy about werewolves. _Again we have been careless._ He was starting to get annoyed with their reoccurring failures. _But that at least is something I should be used to. _His mood took another dive, and he gave an almost inaudible sigh. He glanced at Hermione and Ron who were whispering to each other. Making his decision he stood up.

"I'll go and post a letter to Remus," he said and left, waving half-heartedly to them as he left.

Hedwig was waiting for him in the owlery, and after he had tied the letter to her leg he petted her for awhile. _I really wish there was something we could do for Remus and the other werewolves. I have to talk to Hermione. _

He had just set Hedwig off on her mission when he felt someone approaching. He turned around in time to see Aloysius Crouch entering, a letter in his hand. He didn't immediately discover Harry, which gave him time to scrutinize the seventh year Slytherin. He looked like he had been sick for weeks. His skin was white and clammy with dark circles under his eyes. The hair was unkempt and his eyes looked red and sleep deprived. All in all, he looked pitiful.

Aloysius Crouch looked up towards the dozens of owls. "Zeus," he called softly, and a great barn owl swooped down and landed heavily on his shoulder. He tied the letter to the owl and said softly, "Give this to my mother and wait for a reply." He let the owl fly off and prepared to leave. Only then did Harry step out from the shadows he unconsciously had wrapped around himself.

Aloysius Crouch flinched when Harry emerged, but when he saw the fourth year old boy, he relaxed slightly and the weary expression disappeared behind a blank mask.

"And here is the little Gryffindor boy hiding in the shadows," he stated in a condescending voice.

"You look like you've been having trouble sleeping lately," retorted Harry in a passive voice. "Nightmares?"

Crouch flinched and raised his wand threateningly at Harry. "What do you know about it? Tell me!" he snarled.

Harry merely stared at him unimpressed. "What would I know about your nightmares?" Then he smirked and added, "Do you scream like a girl when you dream about the Crucio."

He easily sidestepped the curse thrown his way, he still hadn't bothered to draw his wand.

"What have you done to me?" Crouch demanded, his wand still trained at Harry even if he could see that Harry wasn't the least bit intimidated. It unsettled him slightly, and he felt wary about the way the boy stared at him with cold eyes. He felt his control over the situation slipping away, unaware of the fact that it had never been his in the first place.

"I didn't do anything, but I can't say I disapprove. People like you," here his calm appearance changed and he looked positively sinister, "deserve to feel the pain you inflict on others."

Crouch backed away when he saw the cruel smirk on Harry's lips and his wand shook. "You! You were the one! You put the Crucio on me!"

Harry neither denied nor affirmed; he just continued to study Crouch, who hadn't attacked him again, only shakily pointed his wand at Harry.

"And now you've done something to me! I can't sleep without feeling the curse every night!" He looked slightly crazy.

Harry felt the slightest bit of compassion for the Slytherin, but it disappeared as soon as he recalled the state of Eleanor when they had found her. "You have no idea how little your plight concerns me," he replied uncaringly and made to leave.

"Petrificus Totalus!" shouted Crouch, and yet again Harry dodged the spell.

In two quick steps he reached Crouch and, taking into consideration his smaller size, managed to kick him between his legs at the same time as he snatched the wand from Crouch. Crouch fell to the floor with a pained gasp, and Harry grasped his chin and forced him to look into Harry's eyes.

"Tut tut, that's just the kind of behavior we want to improve," he said in a patronizing voice, refusing to let go of his rather painful grip of Crouch's cheeks. It would leave a mark in the morning. "You don't attack without discrimination. You don't attack innocents," he said, his voice harsh.

"You're not innocent," snarled Crouch.

"I'm not, but Eleanor Branstone was. I want to see remorse in your eyes and forgiveness from the girl before I would even contemplate removing the curse."

Pride and conviction flashed in the Slytherins eyes. "Never!" he spat fiercely.

Harry responded by pushing him away from him. Before the Slytherin had gotten to his feet, he had reached the door. "Then there's nothing I can do. Have pleasant dreams."

He left the tower in a slightly better mood.

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Hermione hummed happily to herself as she left the kitchen, a cup of tea in her hand. She was finished reading for today, and she couldn't help to feel slightly satisfied at that. People who knew her often thought that she loved to read, that she didn't have a life outside of her books. But people like Harry and Ron knew that wasn't true. She loved knowledge – the books were a necessarily evil. The rest of the afternoon he would spend with Ron and Harry. They had roped her into playing a game of chess. With she and Harry playing against Ron, they might have chance.

"Hi Hermione," said a dreamy voice, and she turned around and found Luna sitting in a window looking out over the white grounds.

"Hi Luna," she said cheerfully before frowning and looking at her with concern. Luna was only dressed in a thin sweater and skirt. "Isn't it cold sitting here in the corridor? Isn't it warmer in your common room?"

"It is a bit cold, but… there was so much noise in the common room," she said distantly and turned her blue eyes on Hermione. Hermione didn't need Legilimency to figure out that Luna most likely had sought out this window to escape her fellow Ravenclaws. It also didn't take a genius to see that Luna indeed was a bit cold.

"Why don't you come with me? Are you good at chess? Harry and I are about to try and beat Ron," she offered hesitantly.

"I would like that. It was long since I've played chess. The chess pieces can never decide whether they like me or not."

"Harry has the same problem. It's very amusing to watch."

Struck by a sudden thought she asked, "Harry didn't ask you to go to the ball with him, did he?"

Luna looked surprised at her. "Yes he did, he asked me four days ago. It was very nice of him. I thought no one would like to go with me," she said in a happy voice, a small smile playing at her lips.

Hermione smiled back but inside she was frowning. She hoped that Harry had made it clear to Luna that they were only going as friends. She didn't want to ask out of fear of hurting the younger girl's feelings.

"Then I finally solved the mystery," she stated triumphantly. "Harry refused to say who his date was claiming it was a surprise. Making Ron mad it was," she said, almost adding "of jealousy" but managed to stop herself in the last second.

"Oh, I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret," Luna said with mild worry. "Do you think he will be cross with me?"

"No, if anything he will be cross with me for prying. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried. Harry is nice."

Hermione made an agreeing noise and decided to change the subject. "So, have you decided on what to wear and all that girly stuff?"

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It was two days before the ball when Aloysius Crouch finally gave in. His state of health had deteriorated so much that it had been a subject of gossip amongst the students, and Madam Pomfrey had even put him on a potion diet.

Harry was slightly surprised Crouch hadn't told on him, but he guessed it was only a matter of time, and Ron had already asked him to remove the curse so as to avoid suspicions being directed at them.

Crouch had sought them out after their last lesson and led them away from curious eyes. After Hermione had checked the room to make sure it was clear, they motioned for Crouch to talk.

"You have to release me from this curse. I'm going mad!" he said, and Harry was suddenly assaulted by the mental image of another deranged Lestrange. The world didn't need that. "I'll do anything you want!"

"We want some remorse," said Hermione coolly even if Harry could see her resolve dissolving.

"I do feel remorse, I'll never do it again, I've learnt my lesson!" he said franticly, and Harry saw the truth in his eyes. The lesson was learned, the remorse was still missing. He sighed and motioned to Hermione to remove the curse. She did so easily, and Crouch quickly slipped out from the room.

"We'll keep an eye on him," stated Ron unnecessarily.

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"Where are they?" said Ron impatiently as he walked back and forth in the Entrance Hall.

"Women always arrive fashionably late," said Harry calmly as he twirled the pink rose in his hand. It was six o'clock in the evening. The Yule ball was beginning in a few moments and the Entrance Hall was filling up with students dressed in robes of every imaginable colour.

All over the place pairs met up, some of the older boys offering a flower to their date. Giggles and eager anticipation filled the air.

Harry and Ron were dressed in their dress robes. Harry was dressed in the emerald green robes he had gotten from his sort-of-parents in birthday present. Ron was in dark blue robes Hermione had bought for him in Diagon Alley. The twins had planned on teasing him earlier but their teasing grins had slipped off their faces when they saw Ron's expensive clothes, much nicer than the twins own dress robes.

Harry glanced at Ron. He looked absolutely stunning in his robes – tall and regal with a physique that defied the laws of puberty. His hair reached slightly below his ears and looked like live flames. His bright blue eyes were confident and playful; he looked like a man of the world.

Yes Ron looked very attractive indeed. Harry was diverted from his gazing when Ron suddenly spotted someone behind Harry. His face split up in a beautiful smile.

"Ah here come our ladies!"

Harry turned around and smiled when he saw Hermione and Luna coming down from the stairs. Hermione was dressed in her periwinkle dress which seemed to flow around her. Harry noticed that it matched perfectly with Ron's clothes.

Luna was dressed in a white and pink dress, which only accentuated the slimness of her body, and Harry was forcefully reminded that Luna was still only thirteen. _I hope no one will charge me for pedophilia_, he thought blandly and looked at Ron who was openly smirking at him.

"You look beautiful Luna," he said kindly and offered the rose to her. She blushed slightly, and Harry was reminded for a second of the fairies muggles believed in, the kind that would dance enchantingly on a meadow in dawn break. Somehow he had no problem imagining Luna doing something like that.

"Thank you Harry Potter. Hermione helped me," she added.

"I gathered as much," said Harry and looked towards Hermione who had just finished greeting Ron. He caught her eyes and could see that the kiss she had just given Ron was meant just as much for him.

Hermione had somehow realized that Luna had been very apprehensive about the ball, not knowing what to wear or indeed how to get ready. It was very unlike their Luna, but it had only been a reminder to them that Luna was younger than their Luna had been when they befriended her, and neither Luna had had the comfort and guidance of a mother. Xenophilius Lovegood might have been a good and loving father, but as Hermione had said with derision, he wasn't good at the motherly duties.

So Hermione had taken Luna under her wing and had gotten them both ready for the ball. Harry and Ron had teased her mercilessly about it – something about her biological clock ticking.

It had been an interesting afternoon anyway. Hermione had never been much for make up, the few exceptions being the Yule ball and Bill and Fleur's wedding. But she knew how to do it and now they both looked splendid.

Harry hooked Luna's arm through his and lead her inside the hall followed by Ron and Hermione. Soon the hall was filled with students in colorful dress robes. They spotted Percy who gave them a small wave before he continued to look important. Amongst the hustle the headmasters and headmistress could be seen sitting down at the front of the room.

Suddenly there was a great hush on the hall and magical light, like fireworks, appeared silently round the doors, and through the ensuing sparkles stepped the champions.

Cedric was first, arm in arm with Cho, followed by Fleur and Roger Davies. When Victor Krum and a pretty girl from Beauxbatons entered. Ron nudged Hermione's arm. "Did Krum ask you to be his date this time?" he asked as Hermione turned a knowing look at him.

"Yes, two days after you had asked me. He bore up his disappointment rather well," she said with a small smile.

Last in was Neville and Ginny. Both looked rather splendid, and not a trace of discomfort could be seen on either face.

"They both thrive in the spotlight," commented Harry blandly, remembering his own disastrous Yule ball.

"If I had a flock of Gryttles in my head, then I too would look comfortable," said Luna calmly at his side.

Harry glanced at her. "Luna, you always look comfortable!" he said exasperatedly and added, "You sure **you **don't have a flock of Gryttles in your head?"

"I certainly hope not. They tend to be permanent after a week," was her reply.

There was a sense of grandness in the air as the Champions reached the Head table and Dumbledore motioned them to sit down. As they did so, the rest of the students quickly went about finding the best seats. In the short scramble that followed, Harry, Luna, Ron and Hermione ended up with Rose and Matthew. Harry and Ron pulled out the chair for their ladies; Matthew did the same after a pointed glare from Rose. Matthew looked extremely uncomfortable in his red silk robes; he kept twisting in his seats, looking everywhere.

"There's Fred and George! Can't we go and sit with them instead?" he asked Rose, who said no in a very firm voice.

"What a beautiful dress you have Rose," said Hermione kindly as they ordered food from their menus.

"Thank you, you too," replied Rose stiffly, looking with envy at Hermione, no doubt noticing that Hermione was, without doubt, one of the more beautiful girls in the room. Her overbite was gone due to Harry hitting her with the Densuego spell and then taking her to the Hospital wing to have Madam Pomfrey correct the teeth. That was a healing spell none of them knew.

Harry looked at the other couple sitting at their table; they were at least seventh years, and he though they might be Ravenclaws. Ron leaned over Hermione and whispered. "Fiona Perks and Will Troakes, they were killed in 98." Harry nodded absentmindedly; that's why he though he recognized them.

"What are you whispering about?" wondered Matthew. Harry looked away from the older couple; they had started to cuddle.

"Nothing, just that it's gonna be fun to see Dumbledore dance," said Harry easily.

"Dance!" groaned Matthew dismayed. "I won't dance," he continued stubbornly.

Rose looked scandalized. "You have to dance! What will I do otherwise? You. Will. Dance!"

"It's only one night Matthew," said Harry with a laugh.

After they had finished the food and the dessert, Dumbledore stood up and told the students to do the same, then, with a flick of his wand, he made all the tables and chairs jump to the side. A thunderous applause started up when people discovered that the Weird Sisters were playing.

The lights dimmed in the Great Hall, and students gathered around the walls, giving a wide birth to the champions and their dates, who slowly and dignifiedly stood up. As the band took up a slow waltz, the champions started to dance.

"Do you wanna dance?" asked Harry as he held out his hand to Luna.

Luna smiled and bounced up, taking Harry's offered hand in a surprisingly strong grip. "I have never danced with anyone before," she commented off-handedly as she pulled him towards the dance floor.

"You don't seem worried though."

"Of course not," she turned to Harry and looked at him imploringly, "It's not dangerous is it? No risk of losing limbs or contracting some malign illness?"

"Not that I know of," laughed Harry as he put his hand around her waist.

He still hadn't had much practice with dancing except for the few times he and Ron had practiced in the Room of Requirement before the ball. It went easily enough now though. _Maybe it depends on how confident you are_, Harry thought as he spun Luna around.

At first it had only been the two of them, the champions and a couple of teachers on the dance floor. The rest of the students were still standing awkwardly at the sides. He could see Ron and Hermione entering the dance floor, prompting a clutter of students to follow them.

_This is fun_, Harry thought wistfully as he remembered his own ball. He could have done so much more, especially if he had given Parvati a chance. Luna was unlike anyone Harry had ever danced with. She didn't seem to follow any particular dance moves and wasn't at all concerned with the fact that Harry was supposed to lead. Softly humming to herself, she would sometimes spin around and move in a different direction, leaving Harry to catch up with her.

When the third waltz ended, they both took a break. Harry got them both drinks before they drifted to the background where they made small talk and studied some of the decorations. Soon, however, Harry found his attention slipping back to Ron and Hermione who were still dancing.

"You should join them," said Luna suddenly.

Harry turned to look at her, well aware of the fact that he had been staring rather wistfully at his significant others for some time.

"Oh I didn't know you wanted to dance more," he said and continued, "Why don't we dance for the next song?" he suggested.

"No, I mean, why don't you dance with Ron and Hermione?"

"You think Ron would approve of me stealing his date for the night?" he asked good-naturedly.

"I can't see why he would be angry. You are a couple after all."

At this Harry turned around and gave her his full attention. "What do you mean?" he asked. It came out a little sharper than he had intended. Luna seemed unperturbed though.

"You are together, all three of you, like a threesome," she said and gazed up in Harry's face as if her revelation was completely normal. .

He hesitated. It wasn't that big a secret, nothing that could jeopardize the war effort, but still, it was private. And how well did they know this Luna, and how well did they trust her mental defenses?

"How did you know?" he said finally, seeing no point in lying to her.

"You belong to each other," she said simply. "You are drawn to each other, like a niffler to something shiny."

"So you're not mad at me for asking you out… despite being with someone else?"

"No, I knew when you asked. I knew we are only going as friends."

"Oh good." They were silent for a while before Luna broke it again. Harry's eyes had again sought out Ron and Hermione.

"You are not going to dance with them?"

"What?... No, have to keep up appearances you know," he said, completely honest. "I might dance with Hermione later though," he added thoughtfully. Suddenly he thought of something and turned to Luna. "You don't think anyone else has noticed our little triad?"

Luna tilted her head sideways and took on a contemplative look before shaking his head. "No, I don't think so, but then again you try not to draw attention to yourselves, right?"

"You are right," laughed Harry. "The wizarding world is still not too fond of people being different; if we tell anyone, then it'll be on our own terms."

Suddenly his gaze shifted to something in the corner of his eye. There on one of the garlands sat a fat and smug-looking beetle.

"Oh how strange," said Luna curiously as she too spotted the bug. "I've never seen a bug in the winter before!"

"Maybe it's not a bug at all," said Harry with narrowed eyes. The bug started to inch away. It extended its wings and in the blink of an eye took off. Faster than lightening, Harry's hand shot out and caught the fleeing beetle in his hand as if it had been a snitch.

The beetle buzzed angrily from inside his fist, and Harry felt it poking towards the inside of his hand in an attempt to escape.

"Maybe it's a Nargle," she said in an interested voice and leaned closer so her nose was almost touching Harry's hand.

Harry made a slightly agreeing noise. He focused on the bug in his hand, and with a concentrated burst of magic, invaded the mind of the beetle, which was suspiciously… human.

_Obliviate. _The beetle immediately stopped its struggles. Harry opened his hand, and they looked at the beetle, which now wagged drunkenly back and forth. Harry wasn't sure how Obliviate worked on Animaguses, but he thought it had worked.

"Do you want it?" he asked Luna innocently. "You can put it in a jar and study it."

"Really! Thank you." She gently scooped up the beetle in her hand.

"Here, so it doesn't get away," said Harry and petrified it with his wand. With one last poke on the beetle, Luna unceremoniously put the beetle in a pocket on her dress.

At that moment Hermione and Ron came back. Hermione were fanning herself with her hand.

"Gosh it's hot in here," said Hermione. "I'm positively boiling. Ron was dancing so fast it was almost like running instead of dancing."

"I think the waltz is too slow," muttered Ron with a sheepish smile.

"I think that too," said Luna and fixed her big imploring eyes on Ron. "Do you want to dance with me? We could dance faster than everyone else here!"

"Um… I don't know, what about Hermione…"

"She can dance with Harry," said Luna immediately.

Ron seemed taken back. "Yes, but she's …um **my** date," he reminded her.

"But what about Harry then?" asked Luna in an airy voice.

"What…" Ron glanced at Harry for help.

"She knows Ron," he said reassuringly.

"She does? How on earth did she know? I mean, if we are talking about the same thing," said Ron sheepishly.

"I know about you three being together," said Luna innocently.

Hermione snorted. "Go figure, and here we thought we were so careful."

"I think it's interesting," said Luna brightly. "Maybe I can convince Dad to write about it in the paper someday." She was silent for a moment and they watched her as she got a curious expression on her face. She looked innocently at Ron. "I just wonder, how do you have se…"

"I think that's enough Luna, time to dance," interrupted Harry and dragged her over to Ron, who still stared gobsmacked at Luna. A light blush had started on his cheeks. "I hope you don't mind this free-spirited lady Ron?" said Harry as he disposed Luna in Ron's arm.

"No of course not," Ron said after he had regained his composure. He turned to Luna and said sternly, "No talking about sex on the dance floor."

Luna just smiled serenely at him, and Ron's lips twitched before he gave one last glance at Harry and Hermione and lead her out on the dance floor.

"One would think she'd stop surprising you after awhile…" said Hermione as she stared after them. They stopped on the middle of the dance floor where they took each others hands and started to waltz so fast that people left a wide berth around them. It looked more like they had ants crawling all over them.

She looked at Harry. "How did she find out?"

"I didn't tell her…well I did after she had already said it out loud. She noticed us... how drawn we were to each other."

"And still we have been so careful." She shook her head.

"Not much to do about it now. Do you wanna dance?" he asked and bowed lightly.

She smiled and took his hand. "I'd love to."

They entered the dance floor, and Harry put his arm around her waist. Dancing with Hermione was completely different from dancing with Luna. Hermione leaned lightly like a feather against his arm and followed him easily in all turns and spins. She always seemed to know where and what he wanted to do, like they were one entity.

"It was long since we did something like this," sighed Hermione and moved slightly closer as the music shifted to a slower tempo. He looked into her eyes and knew that she wasn't only talking about their time in this world.

"I don't think we have ever done something like this," reminded Harry gently.

"True," mumbled Hermione, lost in thought.

"But we're only fourteen; we have plenty of time left."

"True," repeated Hermione and quickly, not giving him time to react, leaned up and gave him a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Silly girl," he murmured as he moved them away from the center of the room to one of the darker corners. He couldn't find it in him to rebuke her though. "Silly girl," he murmured again, and Hermione could feel the telltale sign of magic wards going up around them – strong notice-me-not wards.

"Who is the obvious one now?" she asked and smiled as Harry leaned forward and returned her kiss.

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"Good night Luna," said Harry and gave the younger girl a hug. They were standing outside of Ravenclaw's common room, where they had walked Luna after the ball. She hadn't seemed surprised that they knew the way to her common room.

She yawned widely and nodded at him. "Good night Harry. I had fun. Good night Ron and Hermione."

She turned to the eagle doorknocker and knocked once.

A soft voice asked, "Two things always trying to destroy the other. Yet one can't exist without the other. What are they?" Hermione opened her mouth eagerly to answer before she remembered were she was and closed her mouth with a snap. She looked a bit disappointed when Luna spoke up.

"That's an interesting one," said Luna serenely before answering, "Light and Darkness."

"That it is," replied the voice and the door swung open.

"Oh, and thanks Harry for the Nargle," Luna said and held up the slightly disheveled bug from her pocket.

Ron and Hermione took one look at the bug before they started to crack up. When the door closed after Luna, Ron and Hermione turned to him.

"Was that…"

"Yes, Rita Skeeter, sneaking around."

Ron started laughing, and Hermione started to giggle uncontrollably as Harry explained what he had done to the nosy reporter.

"Nothing more than she deserves, but Merlin, I wish I could see her face when she finally manages to escape Luna's care," said Hermione, mirth still evident in her voice.

"You're an idiot Black!" The angry shout kept Harry from replying, and they slowed down and glanced around the corner.

Snape, James and Sirius were in the next corridor, shouting at each other. Sirius seemed a bit unbalanced and was lazily waving his wand in the air. James and Snape on the other hand seemed to be more sober, but the difference was miniscule seeing how furious they both were.

"I don't care what everyone says Snape! You're not changed! You're still that slimy sniveling little bastard you were in school."

"Snivellus!" snorted Sirius at his side. He was lazily playing with his wand, looking at Snape with a predatory eye.

"You're both idiots," hissed Snape. He was squeezing his wand so hard his hand was turning white. Harry could see how Snape yearned to hex his former classmates. "I don't care what you and your cohorts think about me Potter."

"Then maybe you care of what the auror office thinks of you!"

"What do you mean!"

"Had any more secret meetings with Malfoy lately? Sneaking off in the middle of the night," said Sirius suddenly, the careless façade gone.

"You're spying on me?" growled Snape furiously.

"More like keeping an eye on suspect individuals. Dumbledore might believe you're redeemed…"

"Lily believes Dumbledore; she believes me," said Snape in a voice that was oddly victorious.

"You stay away from her! I don't want you anywhere near my family!" shouted James, suddenly looking furious. He took a step forward, and Sirius had to grab his robes to prevent him from attacking Snape.

"You can't dictate who she can or can't see. She's a free being!" retorted Snape who looked just as furious as James. Harry suddenly remembered that, according to Dumbledore, Snape had loved Lily, truly loved her.

"I don't dictate anything for her. If she wants to see a swine like you, who am I to stop her? But I warn you, if you ever hurt her, I'll hunt you down and then I'll kill you."

"You're making me shake in fear," sneered Snape.

"It might be difficult for you to understand," sneered James.

"What are you implying?" asked Snape through clenched teeth.

"I mean," said James in a carefully controlled voice. "It might be difficult for you to understand love, seeing as you don't have anyone to love but…"

Harry knew what was coming even before Snape had raised his wand. James and Sirius were a bit slower though, and the yellow cutting curse slashed James' leg. James and Sirius both spun around and showed just why they were aurors. In just seconds Snape had lost his wand, and James had returned the cutting curse.

"Hm… attacking aurors is a serious offence," said Sirius offhandedly and raised his wand at Snape, who had frozen. "What shall we do with him?"

"Take him with us to auror office? Then maybe we'll finally get him away from children…"

"I've enough of this. Harry do something!" whispered Hermione angrily as Sirius and James discussed what they were going to do with Snape.

"What do you suggest? He was the one who cursed first," replied Harry, who wasn't going to go to any extraordinary lengths to save Snape.

"Only after they had provoked him," hissed Hermione.

Surprisingly Ron came to Hermione's aid. "Yeah mate, after what they said to Snape… they deserve to be cursed."

Noticing he was outnumbered, Harry nodded and pulled out his wand. "Okay okay, we'll save Snape, but don't expect him to thank us."

"Thought never crossed my mind," said Ron good-naturedly.

"So… how are we going to do this?" he wondered out loud.

"Easiest would be to stun them," suggested Ron, who had noticed that Snape had started to look a bit pale.

"Imperius would make less of a mess," retorted Harry.

Hermione, who was growing tired of their slowly progressing discussion, suddenly pulled her wand and stepped around the corner. James and Sirius had their backs towards her and didn't see when she waved her wand and whispered for Harry and Ron's sake. "Perpello!" She repeated the spell and watched in satisfaction as both of them were hit. They stood still for a second before James slapped his forehead.

"Damn it! We forgot to lock the door to our quarters!"

"We need to do it immediately," said Sirius, who seemed to have forgotten Snape. They turned around and walked towards the corner were the trio was hiding. Ron had pulled back Hermione, and Harry concentrated briefly and shrouded them in shadows. If James and Sirius hadn't been in such a hurry when they stormed past, they might have discovered them. As it were now, they could only think to lock an already locked door.

"Nice compulsion charm," complimented Ron. Hermione smiled.

"Maybe you should follow them and make sure they don't cause anymore trouble. I'll check on Snape," said Harry.

The other two nodded and sped after the two aurors. "Try to get back Snape's wand too!" called Harry after them.

Snape had already disappeared from the corridor when Harry stepped around the corner. It wasn't hard to guess where he had gone though, and Harry ran down the corridor so fast, one would almost think he was flying.

He soon caught up with Snape, who was limping not far away from his office.

"Professor Snape?" he inquired as he slowed down just beside him. Startled, Snape went for his wand, but when he saw Harry, his hand returned from his pocket.

"Potter! 50 points from Gryffindor!" Harry couldn't help but notice that Snape shouted his name with more vitriol than usual. "What are you doing here? It's long after curfew."

"I wanted to check on you. My father's curse hit you good," said Harry solemnly, paying no heed to Snape's words. He was looking the potions master up and down, noticing the dark stain on his clothes.

"It's none of your concern! Now if you don't leave within two seconds, points will not be the only thing you lose."

Harry didn't much care for the threat but was keeping his distance from the Professor, who was clearly in pain.

"I don't need anymore Potters gloating, and I will not be hearing a word of this tomorrow!"

When Harry didn't answer him he shouted. "Get out of my sight Potter!" Had Harry been fourteen he would have run by now, all concerns about his potions master discarded. Now he wasn't the least scared of Snape anymore. And when Snape had started to shout Harry just remained passive, something that seemed to infuriate Snape even more.

"Do you think I enjoyed watching my father acting like a drunk buffoon?" asked Harry as he took a step closer to Snape.

"It wouldn't surprise me – like father like son. I'll give you detention for a week for this Potter."

"I'll let you know that I'm very different from my father," said Harry calmly before his arm shoot out and gripped Snape's arm when the man stumbled. "I don't think you are in any shape to fight now sir," he said quietly when Snape struggled. Up close he noticed that Snape was shaking and that his breathing was shallow. He wondered how deep the cutting curse had cut to affect the stoic potions master this much. "You should be going to the hospital wing." But when he attempted to walk towards the hospital wing, Snape refused to move.

"No, I'll go to my quarters. Let go of me Potter!" Harry refused to let go though and, ignoring the murderous looks Snape sent his way, took them down to Snape's quarters in the dungeons.

Unlocking the door Snape stumbled inside and over to a small cabinet filled with vials. Harry followed and closed the door, thinking Snape didn't want anyone to see him in this state.

"Here let me do it," said Harry and firmly pushed Snape down in a chair.

"Potter, I demand you leave my rooms at once or you'll find yourself with detentions for the rest of the year!" threatened Snape, but he didn't try to get up from the chair.

"Be quiet will you. We both know by now that I care very little for your threats," said Harry as he searched the potions cabinet. Snape oddly enough had no retort to this, and when Harry turned around with two vials in his hand, he found Snape staring at him with an odd searching look.

Putting down the vials on a small table, he moved to remove Snape's clothes.

"I can do it myself," snarled Snape in a quiet voice, and Harry sat back down.

"By all means do," he said amiably and hissed with sympathy when he saw the deep wound. He gently prodded it, ignoring Snape's sharp gasp of pain. He took the two vials and held out the first one to Snape. "Here, this one is to stop the bleeding."

Snape took it with a suspicious look. "With your knowledge of potions I wouldn't be surprised if it is poison." He examined it against the light before sniffing it.

"Satisfied? It's a wound closing potion, not poison, promise," said Harry in exasperation.

"Hmph, I don't trust Potters…"

"Just drink it all ready. If it's poison, I'll go to Azkaban for killing my professor. Won't that be a suitable revenge against my father?"

"It would if only for the downside that I'll be dead as well." Snape, having decided that the vial contained only a harmless healing potion, downed it in one go.

"See, that wasn't so difficult was it," said Harry dryly and held out the other vial.

"Pain reducing potion?"

"Thought you might need it."

After another check to see if it really was a pain reducing potion, Snape drank the second potion and visibly relaxed. Harry took the moment to prod the wound again.

"Hmm, I wondered where my father learnt a cutting curse like this. It is definitely borderline Dark. The wound would just have kept growing till you died. Not really part of the usual auror arsenal."

"Maybe he picked it up from all the scum they are bringing in everyday," said Snape in a neutral voice. He had yet again that calculating look in his eyes, like Harry was a mystery that needed to be solved.

Harry ignored that in favor of studying the wound. He had seen a wound like that many times. He knew by now that it needed tending to for at least a week longer, otherwise it might start to bleed again. "Maybe," he said in answer to Snape's theory. "In any case it's lucky that we were walking by."

"I could have taken care of it myself."

"You were wandless," countered Harry.

Snape didn't retort to this but realized what Harry had said before that. "You were there? You, Weasley and Granger?"

Harry nodded and waved his wand, conjuring a pack of bandages. Snape narrowed his eyes at the wordless conjuring but didn't comment on it.

"You were the ones who got Potter and Black to leave."

"It was Hermione actually. She hit them with a compulsion charm. Ron and Hermione followed them; they're going to get back your wand," said Harry as he easily bandaged the wound. A skill learnt from a lot of practice.

"Why did you do it? Why did you help me?"

Harry paused and looked at Snape. When he finally spoke, it was in a low measured voice. "We might not like you… or trust you, but we like people playing unfairly even less. And two people tormenting someone who has already lost his wand is very unfair."

Snape didn't get a chance to answer before a couple of soft knocks were heard on the door.

"Don't open it;" said Snape and hastily covered his now bandaged wound.

Harry swiftly stood up and moved to the door. "Don't worry, they are friends." He opened the door and let Ron and Hermione in. Ron lingered in the door, but Hermione went over to Snape and held out her hand.

"Your wand professor," she said simply.

Snape snatched up the wand in her outstretched hand. For a second he seemed to struggle before biting out, "Thank you… now get out!"

The trio smirked at each other before leaving the room. Harry was the last to leave, but before he closed the door, he looked back. "And professor? Make sure to check that wound for at least a week, otherwise it might split open again." He closed the door and joined Hermione and Ron.

They were only partly aware of just how curious they had made their potions professor and just how closely he would scrutinize them in the future.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -.

So chapter 19 finished at last! It was the most difficult so far and you all probably noticed – it took more than four months to write. I'm not too happy with it, not much happened and the ball scene could have been better.

Loads of thanks to my beta, great work as always.

Also thanks to everyone who reviews; I especially like all little suggestions that you make all the time. Some are really good.

Thanks for reading


	20. Ministry of Magic

Chapter 20

It was ridiculously easy to enter the ministry in this time. All they had to do was go to the telephone box, enter the digits for M-A-G-I-C and then they were in. Their badges read Hubert Maddox, Toby and Fiona Springer, visiting the Office for Experimental Cross Breeding.

Of course it hadn't been that easy to get there. Disguising themselves as Chaos, Ice and Fire, sneaking out of Hogwarts and flooing from the Three Broomsticks, then walking all the way from the Leaky Cauldron to the ministry had taken the better part of the morning. It was a shame that only ministry employees could use the floo.

The ministry looked just like Harry remembered it from his fifth year. The statue of Brotherhood stood in all its mocking glory, but this time it was surrounded by Christmas trees, garishly decorated with ribbons and baubles. The trees had been enchanted to sing Christmas carols but by now the magic had started to wear off so ten different songs sounded at the same time. While crossing the atrium they, heard a witch complaining to her friend about having to endure the songs for all of December. Apparently all ministry employees were looking forward to tomorrow when the traditional ousting of the Christmas trees took place when everyone was allowed to finally get rid of the trees by any means possible. It was always a cheerful occasion.

Harry, with Ron and Hermione on each side, walked over to the security desk where, if Harry remembered correctly, a wizard named Eric worked. The young wizard looked suspiciously at them when they neared. Harry couldn't blame him. They **did **look strange. Even by wizarding standards.

They were wearing black robes that swirled around them, and while they didn't have their hoods up, their closed-off faces, determined eyes, and poised bodies were enough to make people wary of them. Ron and Hermione were flanking Harry as usual, looking very much like bodyguards. That often turned people's attention to Harry as they tried to figure out how the smallest of the three could garner such respect.

The man waved a golden rod, which Harry knew searched for dark objects, over them. When it passed Hermione, it gave a soft chiming sound.

"What's in the box?" he asked, nodding towards the brown box in Hermione's hands.

"I'm not really sure," said Hermione hesitantly and took a firmer grip on the box.

"Well, go on, open it," he ordered.

"I'm not sure if that's such a good idea sir. We just got it into the box, almost burned down our house while doing so. We are taking it to the Office for Experimental Cross Breeding. We're hoping they can tell us what it is and take it away from us," said Hermione in a fast, nervous voice.

"What...?" said the wizard in a lost voice and stared in confusion at the box.

"It breathes fire sir," said Ron in a solemn voice. "…and we think it shoots poisonous pins too. It lived underneath our front porch for weeks before we could lure it out with some cow liver…"

"Um…okay, don't open the box…better to let professionals handle it," said the security wizard nervously and took a step away from the box.

Hermione nodded vigorously in obvious relief. The security wizard seemed a lot more confident now though and, with one last wary glance at the box, briskly continued with the security check-up.

"Your wands, please," he said and motioned for them to put their wands in the strange brass device on his desk.

"Of course," said Harry smoothly and pulled out his wand and put it in the device.

A short moment later a small note popped out from the thing and the wizard read it out loud. "Twelve inches, oak and phoenix-feather core, been in use thirteen years?"

"That's correct," said Harry briskly and got his wand back. The procedure was repeated with Ron and Hermione, whose wands were the same as Harry's.

They all got their wands back and swiftly left for the lifts.

"Glad that part is over," said Ron under his breath as he discarded the "wand" in a dustbin on the way.

It was quite easy to trick a wand-identifying device. Even Fred and George had managed to create fake wands. The wands they had used today were a bit more complicated though. The trick laid in creating a real wand that wasn't a real wand. It had all the right components, wood and a magical core inside, but you couldn't do any magic with it. True wands could only wandmakers make, but theirs were enough to trick the device.

Walking inside the lift they were delighted to find they were the only ones going down. Hermione quickly opened the box and glanced inside, then quickly closed it when the lift came to an end and the voice announced their arrival to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"It's okay, I was afraid he would shake the box."

"Are you kidding? After what we said he wouldn't have touched it with a ten foot stick," said Ron before looking around the small reception area. "We were right; it's lunch time. I recon we have about twenty minutes."

"That's long enough," said Harry and walked swiftly towards the door reading Improper Use of Magic Office. They entered quickly and found themselves in a large room filled with desks and cubicles. "I've never been here, but from what I can remember we'd be looking for Mafalda Hopkirk's desk or, if we don't find anything there, the archive."

The other two nodded impatiently at the unnecessary information; they had all gone through the plan.

A quick search of Hopkirk's office yielded nothing and they quickly went to the archive. The door was locked and Harry could feel the telltale hum of wards on it. Chances were that only keyed-in people could enter through the door.

"I'm on it," said Hermione in a low rushed voice and put down the box on the ground. She opened it and slowly brought out something that looked like a spray bottle made out of glass. Inside swirled a neon green potion.

"Be careful with that, one drop on your skin…" warned Harry and Hermione made an irritated noise.

"I know." Carefully she pointed the spray bottle at the wall and sprayed. The green fluid hit the wall and with an angry hiss started to eat through the concrete. She continued to spray until the hole was large enough for an adult to squeeze through.

Ron made a low whistle, "It ate through the wall in less than a minute. I don't want to know what it would do to human flesh."

Harry grimaced; the Melting Concoction was one of the most damaging things you could make by way of potions. Anything it came in contact with evaporated within moments. With a gold cauldron it took four weeks to brew. Of course, they didn't have a gold cauldron so for them it had taken eight weeks. It had been nerve wracking to brew; one mistake and they would have melted the cauldron and every floor down to the dungeons. Travelling with it in the floo had been terrifying so say the least.

"I think it's done now," said Hermione and poked at the hole's rough edges with a quill she'd found. The quill sizzled for a moment before crumbling to dust. She dropped it quickly.

"What ever you do, don't touch the edges," warned Ron.

"Well thank you for stating the obvious," muttered Hermione and slipped inside. When Harry had followed he found that Hermione already had started to search through the files.

"There is a ritual…or a spell designed to remove the trace for people who have been declared emancipated by the ministry. Go look for a name, Geoffrey Spavin – he should have been freed some twenty years ago," ordered Hermione.

Harry quickly obeyed and soon found Spavin. "Nothing," he reported.

"Go check the manuals on the shelf over there," called Hermione, now notably stressed. Harry did so but couldn't find anything.

"I didn't…" he started but was interrupted by Hermione's triumphant yell.

"I found it!"

Harry hurried over and looked over her shoulder.

"Listen, the incantation is Dissolvo Vestigium and then the person's name…whole name. It needs to be done when the person is touching the surveillance orb connected to his trace."

"We need to be touching a surveillance orb? Where do we find those?"

"I know where they are. I read about it! They should be here, in this office," said Hermione excitedly and quickly found a second door in the room.

"We are never this lucky," said Harry dubiously and stared when Hermione simply opened the door, revealing row upon row with crystal orbs.

"They should be organized by year," murmured Hermione and started to study the orbs.

"We don't have much time left. Will this take long?"

"No not at all… or it shouldn't."

Harry grimaced at her vague answer and made it back to the first room. Crouching low in front of the hole he whispered out, "Ron, we're on to something but it might take while. No one's coming?"

Ron's voice answered from somewhere in the room. "No, it's dead out here." Short and concise as always when the two of them passed reports. A part of Ron appeared from underneath the invisibility cloak he had been standing guard in. "You found something then?" he asked eagerly.

"Yeah, we'll try it, we need a couple of minutes."

Ron made the okay sign and disappeared under the cloak again. Harry returned back to the second room and found Hermione, who in turn seemed to have found the right orb.

"This is it. Who wants to be first?"

"I'll do it," said Harry before hesitating. "Won't they notice you using magic?"

"Nah, we're in the room with the orbs remember. The only ones who will notice is us."

Harry nodded in understanding and gently touched the orb with both his hands. Hermione touched Harry chest with her wand before intoning. "Dissolvo Vestigium Harry James Potter." Slowly she removed her wand from him and he noticed in fascination how a thin glowing cord followed. It grew longer and longer until her wand touched the orb and the cord snapped and disappeared inside the orb.

Hermione sucked in a breath and said, "You should be free of the trace now."

Harry raised his hand and motioned at a quill which stood on the desk. It zoomed towards him and he caught it easily as if it had been a snitch.

Immediately a loud tolling sound was heard echoing in the silent room and they looked with apprehension at the orb which had emitted the sound. It had turned a bright shade of blue.

The quill Harry had summoned, left his hand and returned to the table where it started to write by itself. They hurried over and watched how it wrote.

Hermione Jane Granger, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, 12.46, release spell.

"Oh, it just picked up on the magic I performed just now," said Hermione. "We're clear."

"And I can use magic," said Harry in a satisfied voice, feeling much more capable and freer than he had before. "Delescripto." He said with a wave at the parchment where Hermione's name had been written. The writing disappeared. "I'll remove your trace, then we call Ron back. I would say it's going well if I weren't so afraid of jinxing us."

They quickly freed Hermione from the trace and then Harry took Ron's place as a lookout while Hermione removed his trace. Exactly twenty-five minutes after they had entered the office, they left it – just in time to hear the elevator scrambling to a stop at their floor. Ron immediately disappeared under the Invisibility cloak while Harry and Hermione waved their wands and turned invisible midstep.

The elevator had been filled with people back from their lunch break. They spotted Kingsley in a group of aurors talking to Dawlish. But it wasn't the familiar Order face that had Harry's heart beating harder in his chest. It was the sight of a plump woman in a pink cardigan. His eyes narrowed when he saw her self-satisfied smile and he stopped. They had their plans… but his hate overruled that and like a predator he felt himself following her.

"What shall we do?" came Ron's whispering voice. He had undoubtedly noticed Harry stopping. Harry watched Umbridge go down the corridor while the Aurors disappeared into the auror office.

"We follow her," he decided. He could feel Ron disagreeing, but he didn't object; a corridor in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was not a good place for invisible intruders to have a secret argument.

Stealthily he took after Umbridge and the two men she had been walking with. He fingered his wand, trying to assess the two wizards' skill.

"Do you think Scrimgeour will listen?" asked the wizard with an impressive moustache.

"He's on the right side. He too loathes these changes that have come to pass," said Umbridge in a reassuring voice.

"But he will stay loyal to the ministry?"

"Need I to remind you that I too am loyal to the ministry?" asked Umbridge stonily.

"Of course Madame, and we are not asking you to betray your employers… but for the good of the wizarding world…" he trailed of suggestively.

"Yes, for the good of the wizarding world. I will do my best to convince Scrimgeour, but I think it's best not to mention the Loyals…" she warned.

"Of course Madame, we'll follow you in this."

Intrigued, Harry followed them to listen in more. They had reached the office of the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Rufus Scrimgeour. Madame Umbridge knocked once and opened the door.

"Rufus? I was wondering if I could have a word with you?" She was apparently welcomed because she quickly beckoned the two other men into the room. Curiously Harry edged closer, intent on slipping inside before the doors closed.

He felt the humming of a ward a second too late, and when he came within touching distance of the door, the wards were set off. Cursing he heard alarms going off inside the office and the ward on the door was lit up in a myriad of sharp colours. For a second he knew his spells had been undone and he was visible, but by the time the office door burst open, he had rendered himself invisible once more.

He felt someone grab his shoulder and quickly pull him away from the flashing door and around the corner just as he heard Scrimgeour roaring something about spies and intruders.

"Amateurish!" hissed Ron's voice.

"Yeah Yeah, I know! Sorry. Got a bit distracted there." Harry apologised to an invisible Ron.

"Let's continue with the plan shall we?" interrupted Hermione. "We need to get into…" she suddenly quietened down when the door to the Auror office burst open and a small group ran past them.

"Sir? What happened?"

"Someone just triggered the wards on my door. I want a full search throughout the whole floor, and someone put a guard by the elevator." They could hear Scrimgeour's voice from around the corner. They put away the information and quickly went about their task.

The upside of them being detected was that the Auror office was now almost empty. There were no aurors sitting in the cubicles in the first three rooms they passed. A bored looking auror was drinking coffee in the fourth room, and from behind a door labelled "Archive," they could hear someone swearing.

"Here!" said Ron suddenly, somewhere to Harry's left. The sign on the door read, "Dark and Dangerous Artefacts and confiscated objects. Access only by authorized personnel."

Harry could feel the wards on the door vibrating with power; whatever the ministry kept in there they didn't want anyone to get their hands on. "Will you be able to break the wards?" he asked as he lifted an invisible hand to flit over the door, never touching it – he had learned his lesson.

"It might take awhile," answered Hermione in a contemplative voice.

"We don't have a while, you heard the aurors; they'll search the whole floor. They will find us."

"The wards aren't that strong, but they are intricate and complicated, built in several layers."

"Can't I just try to tear them down with brute force?" asked Harry. He was starting to get stressed; it was only a matter of time before the aurors came in here, and if they were looking for intruders Harry had no doubt the aurors would find them.

"Maybe… with a lot of brute force."

"Then we'll do this. Ron, Hermione, I need you to lead the aurors on a wild goose chase; keep them away from here until I get the door open."

"And after that?"

"You come and find me."

"And after that?" asked Hermione in a weary voice. "What will we do then?"

"We'll work it from there," said Harry with no humour in his voice.

"The usually Potter plan in other words," commented Ron. "Fine, we'll do it. You have five minutes then the door must be open."

Harry cancelled his invisibility spell to be able to focus completely at the door in front of him. He forced away the thoughts of Ron and Hermione. He had no doubts they would be able to make it; it took more than a couple of aurors to stop any of them.

With a deep breath he raised his hand and summoned up a huge burst of magic. It flowed out of his hand and released with intense energy at the door. The door shook violently and the wards acted up, but it still held. A loud screaming noise started up in the same moment. Harry recognised it as a version of the caterwauling charm. Now everyone would know someone was trying to break in through this door. "Come on! Reducto!" He put even more power behind the spell this time, but the door remained closed.

It seemed impossible that this door or its wards were stronger than him. Frustrated he threw his most powerful spells at the door, spells that had levelled buildings to the ground, but the door stayed mockingly whole.

At the same time Ron and Hermione really ended up in the thick of things. Ron knew the floor from planning sessions during the war, and if Harry wanted to lure the aurors on a wild goose chase, then he would oblige. They had stunned the coffee drinking auror on their way out and Hermione had locked the door to the archive with a strong locking charm.

They stopped by the door that separated the auror office from the rest of the department. Ron took off the invisibility cloak, both so he could fight better and so that Hermione wouldn't lose track of him.

"Just follow me and we'll probably survive," instructed Ron to an invisible Hermione.

"How long do you think we can distract them for?"

"I give us three minutes."

With that Ron opened the door and purposefully stepped out in the corridor. He stood on the door post for a second, contemplating if he should take a left or right turn. Further down the corridor two aurors stepped out from a neighbouring office. When they spotted Ron they quickly made their way to him, wands drawn.

"This floor is off limits at the moment sir. Identification please," one of the aurors called out.

Ron just smiled at them before he turned around and sprinted down the corridor.

"Hey! Stop!" Shouted the aurors and started to run after him. Ron's exposed back made a good target and long before he reached the corner the aurors had pointed their wands at him.

"Stupify!" the two aurors shouted at the same time and two red beams of magic sped towards Ron. They lowered their wands, certain that he wouldn't be unable to dodge and they just grinned when their target just kept on running. The grins slipped off their faces however when the two spells stopped in midair.

"What…?"

At the same moment Ron ran round the corner and out of sight. He sprinted down the second corridor and rounded the corner. With force he rammed into someone, and they both fell to the floor. Just then he heard the magically enchanted voice of the auror he had just run away from.

"The intruder and possibly accomplices located outside Auror Office, heading towards the OMEC corridor!"

"Fuck it!" Ron swore as he struggled to get on his feet.

"Don't move!" ordered suddenly a voice and Ron looked up and found a wand pointing straight at his face. Holding the wand was a stone-faced Kingsley. "On your feet, no sudden movements!" he ordered. Ron, knowing just how good a dueller Kingsley was, slowly obeyed. "You okay Tonks?" asked Kingsley and with a jolt Ron realized that it was Tonks he had run into.

"I'm fine," said Tonks in a slightly winded voice and stumbled to her feet and trained her wand on Ron. "What are you doing? Running around like a maniac in the corridors?" she grumbled.

At the same moment Ron could hear footsteps running up to him and he braced himself. Kingsley noticed but was completely unprepared for the short-range stunner that hit him in the chest.

Tonks gasped and tried to curse Ron but he was already moving. He caught her hand in a strong grip and pointed it towards the wall. The stunner she had attempted exploded into the wall.

"Let go of me!" hissed Tonks and tried to wrestle herself free. She was strong and didn't hesitate in giving Ron a knee in the groin.

"Stand still!" growled Ron in a slightly pained voice.

"Not bloody likely!"

Ron answered with twisting her arm and folding it against her back. She gave a small gasp of pain, and Ron snatched the wand from her hand.

"Maybe now you'll be a bit more cooperative?"

"Everything alright there Fire?" asked Hermione's voice out of nowhere.

"Yeah, thanks for the save. What do you reckon we should do with this one?" asked Ron and jostled Tonks in his grip. Tonks on her part had stopped struggling at the arrival of the bodiless voice and was now listening attentively.

"Just keep her from following us. Petrificus Totalus!" Again a spell came out of nowhere and Tonks seized up. Ron leaned her against the wall and held up her wand in front of her. She was glaring furiously at him, the only person she could see.

"I'll be nice and leave your wand here with you. Remember that next time we run into each other." He grinned and placed her wand balancing on the top of her head. With that he took off again.

"We should make more noise!" suggested Hermione as they ran down the corridor.

"Like this?" said Ron and flicking his wand. The shrill noise from a thousand cymbals suddenly echoed in the narrow corridor. Hermione's reply was lost in all the noise, but a pink mist suddenly started to emerge all around them. He slowed down when he reached the corner and cautiously peeked around. In front of them were four aurors and more coming running up behind them. They all looked quite stunned at the noise and the pink mist, but it had warned them of Ron and Hermione's approach. Ron had to quickly duck back behind the corner when four stunners headed for his face.

"Aurors are coming at our tails," reported Hermione.

Ron thought quickly and turned to Hermione. "There is a door in that corridor. Can you protect us with a shield?"

"Give me a moment." Her voice was calm and measured, like it always was when she was concentrating on a spell. When doing spellwork she never cared about enemies or lethal spells; that was Ron or Harry's job. After what for Ron felt like an eternity, she spoke up. "Clypeum Agilis!" A large bronze coloured shield sprang into being in front of him. It slowly revolved so it was in front of Ron and he could feel Hermione standing close to him so she easier could cover both of them.

"Ready?"

"Yes!"

As one they ran around the corner and into the onslaught of spells and curses. Hoping that Hermione's shield would hold, Ron ran over to the door and threw it open. To his relief it wasn't locked, and they quickly ran inside. Ron slammed the door closed and applied every locking charm he knew on it while Hermione dispelled her shield.

"They'll probably just blow this entire wall off, but it doesn't matter. I reckon we should get back to Harry now; he's had his three minutes."

"I hope you know your way then?" said Hermione and looked around in the storage room they found themselves in. "We wouldn't want to end up in a dead end."

"I know the way. I spent weeks studying the maps over the ministry. There's a door here that leads to the Improper Use of Magic Office. The layout hasn't changed in this world."

"Then let's go," said Hermione, who noticed that the poor door Ron had locked was starting to tremble.

Ron nodded and opened the opposite door. They were back to where they had started. To his left he could see the hole they had made in the wall to get inside the archive.

But before he could take another step, a spell slammed into him. He could feel himself seizing up, and he fell to the floor with a heavy bump.

"Back at the place of the crime are you?" a voice growled, and from behind a desk an unfamiliar auror peaked out. He didn't come out though but peaked suspiciously around the room. "Who were you talking to?" he asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the stupid question; Ron had been petrified so he couldn't answer any questions. Still a bit baffled over the auror she waved her wand and the desk suddenly jumped backward, giving the auror a hard shove. The auror stumbled, and Hermione quickly stunned him.

She went on to release Ron, who swiftly got to his feet. "You are sloppy today. Is that the second time I have to save your neck?"

"I think it's the third," grunted Ron, a bit embarrassed that he had been caught.

"Henry! They have found the intruders in the…" Another auror ran into the room and stopped dead in his track when he saw Ron standing in the middle of the room. His eyes found his unmoving partner on the floor and quickly backed away. Ron's stunner missed him when he ran out of the door.

"Dawlish! One of them is in here!" The auror shouted as he crossed the desk-filled room. Ron and Hermione ran after him just in time to see him leaving the room. They followed him but stopped just inside the door.

"It'll probably be a lot of aurors on the other side. It's the main corridor there."

"But the auror office is next door, isn't it?" asked Hermione.

"Don't think we can do the same trick one more time, but we can try breaking down the wall in between."

Suddenly they could hear commotion outside the door, and the door shuddered. With a small click, the door unlocked. Hermione slashed down her wand in an intricate pattern and the door seemingly melted into the wall.

"The wall might be magic resistant," said Hermione, calmly as if there hadn't been any interruption.

Ron didn't waste anymore time though and pointed his wand at the right wall. "Reducto!" he shouted. A loud bang was heard and the wall erupted in a cloud of dust and plaster. But when the dust settled they saw that the wall hadn't taken any noticeable damage. Ron shifted and seemed to be listening intently before frowning. "That explosion wasn't our doing…" he said finally. Then he straightened up and looked at Hermione. "We're about to get company!" he told her. "You try and get this wall down and I'll give you some space."

She nodded and Ron turned towards the room from which they had come from. He could hear running feet bounding towards them. With a sweeping gesture of his wand, he had the desks in the room fly over and block the door.

Hermione was busy flinging Reducto curse after Reducto curse at the wall, all the time keeping an eye at the door which continued to suffer assault from the aurors who now had them surrounded from two sides.

Meanwhile the aurors Ron had blocked out were doing their best to get through, and they were by no means imbeciles. When their first attempts at banishing the desks had failed, they resorted to simply vanishing them. It didn't take long until they could aim their wands at Ron, and the room was filled with the bright jets of spells.

Ron brought forward a shield and watched with trepidation how the aurors were only seconds from entering the room. "Stupefy!" he intoned and the red yet sped towards the first auror who brought up a shield.

"Why don't you surrender?" he shouted over the din. "You are outnumbered and we have you surrounded!"

"Can't have that now," muttered Ron to himself and, seeing as the desks were all but gone, raised his wand again. "Turbo Ventus!"

A tornado of wind emerged from the tip of his wand causing all loose objects in the room to fly around. Ron flicked his wand and the tornado was freed. Wild and turbulent, it seemed to grow and gain in speed. It reached almost to the ceiling, and Ron was forced to his knees to keep his balance. Then it set off towards the aurors, who scrambled out of the way. Some tried finite it, but they barely managed to sap it of power.

In the chaos Ron managed to stun one auror, but by that time they had managed to regroup. Careful of the tornado raging in the centre of the room, they made their way up to Ron.

"Ron! I'm through!" shouted Hermione suddenly, and Ron turned his face in time to see her blasting the remaining bits of the wall into smithereens. A bludgeoning curse suddenly slammed in his side and he stumbled, cursing his distraction. A volley of spells from the other aurors sped towards him, and he tried to get out of the way. But unfortunately the floor was covered with broken furniture and papers and he slipped.

"Agyraspis!" At Hermione's cry the silver shield popped up in front of Ron. The spells hit it with a clear crashing sound, the shield flickered and broke but it had at least given Ron time to get up from the floor and follow Hermione through the whole she had made.

"Fourth time wasn't it?" called Hermione back at him, already ten paces ahead of Ron.

"I say we don't mention this to Chaos!" shouted Ron as he struggled to catch up to her. They went through the auror office, ran past the auror they had stunned earlier, who was stirring slightly, and the archive where someone was hammering on the door, shouting to be let out.

When they arrived they immediately saw that Harry had managed to break through the door. Debris and chunks of the wall littered the floor, but of Harry there was no sign. Entering through the door, they found themselves in a large storage room. The shelves went on row after row, so tall they couldn't even see the topmost shelf. They came to a halt as they hesitated at the sight of the countless shelves and the at least four different directions they could take.

"Lumos," murmured Hermione, and she raised her wand towards every aisle, trying to find a clue to which way Harry had taken. The place was dark and her wand did little to help. Only ten paces away the corridor seemed to be swallowed by darkness. Hermione had a sneaking suspicion that it was magic involved. She shivered; the place reminded her a little too much of the Hall of Prophecies.

Beside her, Ron too seemed to have picked up on the atmosphere and kept twitching nervously.

"Chaos!" He suddenly called loudly into the darkness.

Hermione wanted to hit him as his shout echoed in the darkness, giving them an inkling of just how huge the room was. Slowly the echo died away, leaving the room silent and eerie once more. There was no reply from Harry.

Ron, who seemed to have regretted his idea just as much as Hermione did, cleared his throat. "He must be in here, right?"

"I hope so, but we can't just run in headfirst. We don't know how big this place is."

Noises could now be heard from behind them, informing them that the aurors were coming.

"What about that locating spell you have?" asked Ron, now a bit stressed.

"Locato Harry!" Hermione's wand jerked slightly before starting to spin in circles. "Doesn't work! Locato Tom Riddle's Diary." Again the wand kept spinning in circles, causing Hermione to frown. Looking into the darkness again she waved her wand aimlessly and studied the air closely.

"We need to go now!" interrupted Ron suddenly. The footsteps outside got louder and louder. Hermione didn't seem to be listening and kept staring into the air. A wholly stressed-out sound left Ron as he grabbed her arm and dragged her into a random aisle. The light from the door disappeared and darkness encompassed them. The shelves seemed to continue forever, filled with identical looking boxes. Ron and Hermione altered between lighting the floor in front of them and the boxes, trying to find the right one.

They passed boxes marked with things like:

Chocolate Chrunchies

Rectangular

February

Pasta

Bolt cutter

1814

When they found a box marked as "Dog biscuits" they paused.

"This doesn't make any sense!" whispered Ron, his voice disappearing in every direction. "Something is wrong!" He wished he hadn't said that, because immediately their situation seemed much more precarious. They were in an unfamiliar magic room, they had no idea how it worked, and the aurors had probably gotten their act together and were pursuing them.

"It's the room. This is a part of its defence. We need to find the right way, the solution. Otherwise we might wander around here forever."

"Or until the aurors find us."

"I'm not sure the aurors themselves know exactly how this room works," objected Hermione, who had begun to wave her wand back and forth in the air again.

"I guess anyone running aimlessly looking for something will be lost here forever then?" said Ron and looked up, following the shelves as far as he could see.

"I'm wondering about the signs on the boxes," said Hermione. "They don't make any sense."

"And what's the deal with the topmost shelves? No one will be able to read those," said Ron, adding his piece.

Hermione tapped one box with her wand and shied back as the box stared to vibrate, then it started to shine. Sharper and sharper it shone until they had to cover their eyes. Most curious though was that everything around the box remained just as dark.

"I think we should get away from here," suggested Ron.

"Good idea," said Hermione in a disconcerted voice. They hurried down the aisles and soon they were surrounded by darkness once again. "This is starting to become annoying!" hissed Hermione. "What can we do? There must be something we have to do!" She looked around as if hoping the answer would come to her.

"You are the logical one," said Ron. "We have been running in a straight line for I don't know how long. It is impossible for the room to be this long, and we haven't come across any intersecting corridors to the other aisles."

"We are running in a circle!" murmured Hermione.

"But how come we haven't come across Chaos then?"

"Maybe he is running in another circle."

"Okay?" Ron's tone suggested that he wasn't following the reasoning anymore.

"We need to get to another circle then," said Hermione and suddenly smiled, eagerly she turned to Ron. "If we haven't come across another intersection or an end or a turn, how would we go about leaving this aisle for another?" she asked eagerly.

Ron hesitated for a second before the answer came to him. He leaned his head backwards and said one simple word. "Up?"

Climbing up wasn't difficult at all; as soon as they had put their feet on the second shelf the aisle changed and they were suddenly standing on a different floor next to different row of shelves.

"Well this was interesting, but how will we go about getting back? We can't walk through the floor," said Ron.

Hermione was busy examining the new boxes which still had the same unintelligible words on them. "Let's deal with all that later shall we. Let's just find our little Chaos first. I don't like it that he is all alone."

"He's probably faring better than us at the moment."

"Right! Let's solve this!" said Hermione and rubbed her hands together. "Let's climb to the next circle and see what it looks like."

Meanwhile Harry had just managed to figure out the intricacies of the room. Or at least he thought so. He had climbed up several shelves trying to get closer to the diary. He still hadn't found it so he couldn't be sure he was doing the right thing.

At the box marked "Rectangular" he had climbed one shelf and ended up in a new aisle, where he eventually had found a box marked "Memories" and had again climbed a shelf. And it had continued like that; at the moment he was running down his fifth aisle and was desperately hoping that he wasn't completely crazy doing this. The storage system seemed to be something Luna would come up with, and he thanked fate that had let him be friends with her. Those who hadn't had the opportunity to get to know that odd girl probably never would have thought to follow the boxes like he was doing.

He found a box labelled "Serpent" and climbed the shelf. Up in a new aisle he continued running. It didn't take long before he came upon a box labelled "Livre."

Up again.

Next label; "Ink"

Up again.

Passing boxes labelled muggle, pureblood, Italian, Veela, Old, finally finding one labelled "half-blood". Climbing again and finding a box labelled "Boy".

Climbing again. Next label; "Riddle". He hesitated, it wasn't exact labelled yet. Slowly he climbed the next shelf and found himself in a new aisle. Eyes closely scanning the boxes he, at last, came across the right box.

Tom Riddle's diary.

"And I can just take it?" he questioned the air. He received no answer. But the box seemed friendly enough. He was sure it wouldn't be there if he wasn't meant to take it. After all he had followed the trail itself to it. To take an object you needed to know the object.

Slowly he touched the box and took it down from the shelf. Nothing happened. Hurriedly he opened the box and looked inside. The diary, black and nondescript, was the only thing inside. He quickly stuffed it in his pocket and returned the box to the shelf.

_Now I just need to get out of here and find Ron and Hermione_, he thought to himself. He had an inkling that he would have to find the exit in the same way as he had found the diary. Or…he would just have to go back the same way he had come from, if he could remember it.

Suddenly he heard a noise behind him and, maybe it was the isolated feeling of the room, but Harry's first instinct was to hide. Now, the shelves didn't offer much opportunity to hide, so in the end he settled for running, knowing that the small aisle wasn't the best of places for combat.

_Need a way out! Way out! Way out. _

"Chaos?"

He stopped abruptly at Ron's familiar voice and turned around. Ron and Hermione emerged from the darkness and they met under the light of three wands. For a moment they just stared at each other, feeling as if they hadn't seen each other in years.

"Thank Merlin! Never thought we would find you," exclaimed Hermione and gave him a hug.

"But how did you?"

"Find you?" asked Ron with a smile. "All thanks to Hermione. She solved it," he said in a proud voice.

"The labels on the boxes?"

"Yeah, we have been finding a lot of boxes with Lightening, Cupboards, Lions, Treacle Tart, black and green and Merlin knows what."

"That's brilliant. Now we only need to find our way out. I found the Diary."

"How did you…"

"Take that later shall we. Chaos? Can you try and transform and get us out that way."

As an answer, Harry transformed into Ra and flapped his wings. Ron and Hermione gripped his tail feathers and prepared to be flamed away.

Nothing happened. Ra gave an annoyed squeak and settled down heavily on Ron's shoulder. They could see he tried again to flame away but it didn't work. Eventually Harry transformed back and clutched his heart, completely exhausted.

"Doesn't work… room's too…oppressive… can't," he gasped out.

"Then we'll have to follow the boxes," said Ron as he supported Harry. Suddenly he looked backwards and pulled Harry behind him. "Someone's coming!"

As one they extinguished the lights in their wands and plunged the aisle in darkness. It didn't take long though until lights showed up, and when it showed up it did so very close.

"Climb the shelf," whispered Harry, his voice sounding much louder than he had intended it.

They climbed three shelves in a row, but the lights were always quick at catching up to them. "If it's just aurors we should be able to overpower them," suggested Ron, "especially since we have the advantage of surprise."

This time, when the lights caught up to them, they had disillusioned themselves. The lights indeed belonged to the aurors, three of them and no match for the trio. Two stunners and one Petrify Totalus later, they had the perfect source of how to get out of there.

Ron took the aurors wand before releasing him from the curse. The auror tried to back away but Ron locked his arms behind his back.

"Would you be so kind to show us the way out?" he asked in a friendly voice, twisting the auror's arm slightly when he was slow to answer.

"I don't know!" replied the auror as he struggled to get loose.

"You don't know?" asked Harry with a raised eyebrow. "Why would your superior send you in here without a way to get out?"

The man remained silent, and Harry got the impression he was stalling for time. "We should move one shelf up," he suggested. It was a bit tricky for Ron to climb without dropping or losing the auror, but he managed.

"Now, let's see if we can't get some information out of you," said Harry in a low voice. Ron pulled the auror's face upwards, forcing him to look into Harry's eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, the auror desperately trying to break eye contact.

"You have had some Occlumence training," said Harry when they finally broke eye contact. "Your shields are quite good. Stupefy." As the man slumped unconscious to the floor, Harry turned to his companions. "If we want to get out, we need to go in the opposite direction we have walked in so far, and we should end up where we started."

"Ridiculously easy," commented Ron as they started walking back. They hadn't come far until wandlights were seen again ahead of them, and they climbed another set of shelves. They started to run so they would be able to reach the exit before the aurors caught up to them. It didn't take long before they saw light at the end of the tunnel, and they abruptly left the dark aisle. Not surprisingly, there were aurors standing guard at the door, and they had heard the three of them coming.

"Drop your wands!" shouted Scrimgeour from were he stood blocking the door.

Well aware of the aurors probably closing in from behind them, they stopped cautiously and raised their wands. Scrimgeour was accompanied by Kingsley, Proudfoot, Dawlish and a muscled Auror they didn't recognize. It would have been an even fight if it weren't for the cramped space they had to move in.

"You are outnumbered, drop your wands and no one will get hurt," mediated Scrimgeour, sounding a bit impatient at the end.

The stalemate was ended when Harry leaned towards Ron and whispered, "We need leverage."

Ron was quiet for a moment before replying in a whisper, "Leverage is coming right about…now!"

Harry and Ron spun around, just as their pursuing Aurors ran out from the dark aisle. If the Aurors were surprised at running into their prey they didn't show it. Immediately the air was filled with shouts of stupefy. Harry managed to stun one Auror while jumping out of the way from a Petrificus Totalus. Ron had the misfortune to lose his wand as an Expelliarmus from close range slammed into him. He crashed into one of the shelves but was moving one second later. Rolling away from another stupefy, he landed next to the auror Harry had stupefied. Taking hold of the man he stood up, struggling to lift the unconscious body level with his chest. His attackers hesitated in their attack, afraid to hit one of their own.

Meanwhile Hermione was doing her best of protecting Harry and Ron's backs from Scrimgeour's and the others spellfire. There were too many though, and when spell after spell barrelled into her shield, it started to crack. When four Reducto curses hit it at the same time, it broke. Hermione, caught in the backlash, was slammed backwards. Dazed and her ears ringing from the shock, she had no chance of dodging the stupefy. Her world went black.

"We have your friend! Drop your wands or she dies!" shouted Scrimgeour suddenly, his words effectively halting the battle.

Ron and Harry froze, slowly turning around to see Hermione lying slumped on the ground. Their insides turned cold, and everyone could see the jolt that seemed to pass though their bodies at the sight of her. They were in mid-jump, intent to get her back when Scrimgeour hoisted her up. Her head lolled to the side but she seemed unharmed. She wasn't dead and nor would she die, they knew Scrimgeour was bluffing. Still, seeing Hermione in the hands of the enemy made them worried and twitchy. If something happened to her because of them, they would never forgive themselves.

"Drop your wands!" ordered Scrimgeour again. Only two aurors of the four who had come out from the aisle were still standing, and they raised their wands at Ron and Harry while backing away to a safer distance. They had seen the damage they, especially Harry, could do at close range.

Ron was still holding the unconscious Auror as a shield in front of him, and he demonstrated this fact by taking a stronger grip on him. Harry followed his example and summoned the other unconscious Auror to him. Not having Ron's strength, he simply kept the Auror suspended in the air in front of him.

"Or what?" asked Harry in a challenging voice. "We are the ones making the rules. Release her, or **we** will kill one of **your** men!"

Scrimgeour narrowed his eyes at the threat. Try as he might, he couldn't hide a flicker of fear passing his face. "Be reasonable," he tried. "You'll never get out of here. The entire department has been closed down. If you surrender now you'll only be charged for breaking and entering. If you murder an Auror it's a lifetime in Azkaban!"

"Release our friend!" stated Harry again, moving his wand to press at the auror's throat.

"Release one of my aurors first!" tried Scrimgeour.

"No games Scrimgeour!" hissed Harry. "Release Ice now!"

When Scrimgeour hesitated again Harry pressed his wand harder into the Auror's skin. He wasn't sure what to do if the Aurors called on his bluff. He wouldn't kill the Aurors.

"Avada…" he started.

"Wait!" shouted Kingsley, taking a step forward. He turned to Scrimgeour who had also started forward. "Sir?" he urged.

"Very well," Scrimgeour finally nodded.

Kingsley kneeled in front of Hermione, uncomfortably aware of two pair of eyes following his every move. He enervated her with a light tap with his wand. She blinked drowsily, and he could see awareness come to her eyes as she noticed him hovering over her. He had expected anger and hostility to enter her eyes but was surprised when only calm recognition showed. In some unexplainable way, he felt that she trusted him, or at least trusted him to some level.

He saw her snatching back her wand and stand up, quickly taking in the situation around her. Hurriedly she walked over to Ron and Harry, who relaxed at having her back with them.

"You've got her back, now release my Aurors," ordered Scrimgeour.

"Give me back my wand first," said Ron and nodded towards Dawlish who had picked up the wand.

"Now see here!" bristled Scrimgeour. "We had a deal!"

"But as I can see we still hold all the cards. Give Fire his wand!" said Harry.

"Chaos," said Hermione in a slightly reprimanding voice. "If we had a deal; you'd better release him." Otherwise you'll be an oathbreaker, went unsaid.

Harry hesitated, not wanting to give up their hostage, but every second they wasted down here made it more difficult to escape. In the end he just flicked his wand and the auror was pushed away and was sent gliding on the floor to Scrimgeour's feet. They would have to make do with only one hostage, it was still better than none.

As everyone was staring at the poor auror, Hermione summoned Ron's wand. Dawlish tried desperately to hold on to it, but with a hard jerk the wand was free and soaring over to Hermione, who caught it.

"Fifth time?" she asked humorously. Ron could only shrug. Harry glanced at them questioningly before focusing on the aurors in front of him again.

"Okay! This is how we do this; we go to the elevators and we'll keep the Auror. If we get into the Elevators safely we'll release him for you to pick up. Then we will be fair game for you to chase down."

Without giving them time to answer, he took a step forward while Ron tightened his grip on his Auror who had started to awaken. For a moment Scrimgeour stood still in the doorway, looking as if he wanted t refuse them passage.

"Your Auror will be dead before you've had chance to incapacitate all three of us," said Harry in a soft warning, staring down the department head. In the end Scrimgeour gave up and stepped out of the way, allowing Harry, Ron and Hermione to step through. With Hermione leading the way and Harry keeping an eye on the Aurors, they hurried through the office. Before long they arrived at the elevators, guarded by two Aurors.

When they saw the trio coming round the corner, they raised their wands.

"Don't fire," growled Ron, still holding the auror hostage. The Aurors were rookies and thus obeyed, even if they should have credit for not lowering their wands.

"We need to go up," said Hermione briskly, motioning for the Aurors to step away from the elevators.

"They have been shut down," said one of the Aurors bravely. "You won't be able to get out!"

"We'll see about that," muttered Hermione and jabbed her wand towards the doors. A loud crash was heard somewhere above them, followed by a grinding sound from something forced downwards. With a small earthquake the resisting elevator arrived at their floor. It let off a sort of whining sound when Hermione forced the doors open.

"Excuse me?" a cultivated voice asked from inside the elevator. They paused when the sneering face of Lucius Malfoy stared back at them, cane in hand and a cowering Dobby at his feet. "I believe this elevator was mine."

Three wands were pointed in his face at this and Malfoy froze.

"Get out!" hissed Harry. When he was too slow to obey, Harry flicked his wand and Malfoy was thrown out of the elevator. At the same time Ron pushed their hostage to the other Aurors and stepped inside the elevator. Harry and Hermione followed, and Hermione closed the doors with a sweep of her wand. Ron was just about to press the up button when a timid voice spoke up.

"Excuse Dobby?"

They turned around and saw Dobby hiding in the corner, looking utterly terrified by the three wizards. He seemed to have forgotten that he could apparate without trouble.

"Oh," said Hermione in a surprised voice.

"But Dobby is wondering if he could go out too?" he asked in a shaking voice. He looked even more beaten up than Harry remembered him from his second year, or maybe it was just Harry who had gotten used to the sight of a healthy and free Dobby.

"I'm sorry Dobby," Harry said when he had gotten over unexpectedly meeting such an old friend. "We'll let you out, hang on."

Dobby's eyes grew even bigger as he gazed at Harry. "You knows Dobby?"

"Yes, I'm your friend. Dobby, we are going to open a crack in the doors, and then you must hurry out. Understood?"

Dobby nodded, still looking a bit frazzled at being told he had a friend, and Hermione swept with her wand at the doors again. They opened just a tiny bit, and through all the spellfire that followed, Dobby managed to slip out. Hermione quickly closed the doors and Ron pressed the up-button.

The elevator remained unmoving.

"It's still in lookdown," said Hermione, not even bothering to try and break the enchantments. "Harry could you?"

Immediately Harry transformed into Ra and Ron and Hermione grabbed at his tail feathers. This time he had no problems with flaming away, and when the Aurors forced their way inside the elevator five seconds later they found it, to their bewilderment, completely empty.

….

Again thanks to my beta


	21. Christmas Eve

Chapter 21 – Christmas

"Ah, there you are Derwent, we have been looking all over the place for you." Aldwick's loud voice echoed in the library, but fortunately for them, there was no one around, not many spent their Christmas holiday in the library after all.

Derwent snapped the school register he had been reading shut and looked up at Aldwick who was striding towards him, poor Davies struggling to keep up with her swift stride while trying to hold on to their Magic Sensing Device.

"You knew perfectly well I was here, it shouldn't have been that hard to find me," he stated, annoyed at being interrupted.

"We've got a new trace."

"What!"

"Three hours ago this," she indicated at the bronze device, "stopped working, we thought it was just a fluctuation or something but we just got word from the ministry. Apparently the orbs there picked up the trace."

"So where did it originate from this time then?" asked Derwent, who was starting to get really annoyed with this seemingly random trail of magic they were following.

"That's the thing, it originated at the ministry," said Davies.

"At the ministry? But weren't we sure the source of the trail was at Hogwarts." He hated how confused he sounded.

"Well it was, but apparently it has changed location. We are going to check it out, maybe we can find out something more, I'm starting to get sick of this game of hide and seek," said Aldwick. "Mr Tipple will want a report anyway."

"It's the ministry, people are bound to have noticed at least something," said Davies in a hopeful voice. They prepared to leave when they noticed that Derwent had started to fervently go through his papers.

"Are you coming or not?"

"No, you go ahead, I need to check something here first."

They shrugged and left, figuring he would tell them at their weekly group meeting. He opened a file he had managed to compile the last month and opened it quickly and found what he was searching for. _Time to check some alibis_, he though eagerly and took off heading towards Gryffindor tower. On his way there he ran into the two Weasley twins, who were busy trying to paint a moustache on one of the portraits. Mentally he ticked off them from his list.

Just outside the portrait of The Fat Lady he found two others of his targets. Auror Potter's daughter and another redhead. Mentally grinning he ticked them off the list too.

"I'm so annoyed right now," stated the Potter girl. "I've been looking for Harry all over the place! No one has seen him since breakfast!"

"Have you asked Ron or Hermione? They always hang around together nowadays," answered the redhead.

"What do you think? No one has seen either of them. I bet they're up to no good, they took the m…." Suddenly the two girls noticed him and fell silent before hurrying away. Derwent thought about calling them back but thought better of it. He had heard just what he needed. So Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley had been missing today. If he only could confirm they had been gone for three hours then…

Meanwhile Aldwick and Davies were trudging down the hill towards the gates so they could call the Nightbus for further transportation to the ministry.

"I don't see why both of us need to go on the buss," grumbled Aldwick. "Don't say you can't hold onto the device by yourself. We could get so much more done if I go ahead and start questioning at the ministry."

"What about solidarity," retorted Davies. "It's not fair that I have to go by the bus, just because I'm the only one who can manage the thing."

"Solidarity," snorted the woman. "What kind of muggle pish posh is that. Anyway I'm your superior, I decide."

"You're only my superior because you are older than me, by five years. And I don't see why you can't hold it on the bus, that doesn't take overly much intelligence."

"I hate sensitive things," grumbled Aldwick, scowling at the device in his hands. "Are you sure it will break if we apparate with it?"

"Yes, and if you feel eager to explain to Mr Tipple how a ten thousand galleon object broke then feel free to…." Davies suddenly interrupted himself as the device had started to glow brightly for a moment before dimming. "What the?" He pointed his wand at the device which was still glowing slightly. The arrow at the top was for a moment pointed towards the Forbidden Forest before it was overcome, yet again, by the static magic in the air and started spinning around confusedly.

"I guess it means that whatever we are following are back at Hogwarts?" said Aldwick.

"It must have emitted a sudden burst of magic for the device to pick it up in this setting." Davies looked towards the Forbidden Forest, which spread out ominously before them, still and quiet under the setting sun.

"You know Derwent's theory, if they are wizards then a portkey or something might have triggered it," mused Aldwick.

"Should we go and check it out?" asked Davies, whilst studying the dark forest with apprehension. True, he was an above average wizard, but even he was cautious about entering that forest in the nightfall, especially while not knowing what might wait in there.

"No, it's no use. The device has gone haywire again, we won't be able to find anything. Better yet to go to the ministry and try to find out what's been going on."

Davies nodded, happy to not be the superior in this case, and together they continued down the path.

Only two hundred metres away, behind a small hill, three beings had appeared in a burning flame and landed in a heap on the snow-covered ground, in less than a second they had disentangled themselves and managed to check on their surroundings.

Harry was the first one up and lent a hand to Hermione who stumbled up. She looked around and noticed they had appeared not far away from Hagrid's hut. The sun was going down and the grounds rapidly became darker and colder.

"Why here?" she asked.

Harry shrugged, "Don't know, just thought to get back, wasn't really focusing on exactly where."

"Lucky we didn't end up in Dumbledore's office or something then," commented Ron.

"We cut this awfully close didn't we," said Harry. "I don't think the aging potions will last much longer."

"I say it was very well planned, just because Umbridge distracted us enough to become discovered, doesn't mean it was a bad plan," sniffed Ron.

"Even the best laid plans are bound to fail at some point, only reason we have survived this far is because we are good at improvising," said Hermione and shivered, it had become rather cold outside. Ron pulled off his cloak and wrapped it over her shoulders and Harry prepared to flame them into their dorm this time.

"Wait," Ron suddenly whispered and halted him from transforming. "Someone's coming!"

They hunched low, well aware of the fact that their dark robes stood in sharp contrast to the white snow. Rounding the hill came two men, the first one; very easy to spot in a flamboyant red dress, was the Durmstrang headmaster. He was talking energetic with a dark cloaked figure who seemed to completely merge with the darkness.

_Who is that?_ wondered Harry for a second before recognizing the person's prowling walk. _Ah, Snape then. What are they doing out here?_ His second question was answered for him when the booming voice of the headmaster carried over to where they hunched.

"I have never seen that particular curse being used in that manner, I think it is rather bothersome to cast."

Snape reply was a soft murmur which Harry couldn't hear, looking at Ron, he saw his boyfriend hadn't heard either.

"Then how do you get down the components? I'd say you need more than three, impossible to cut it down more."

Again Snape replied something unintelligible, and they were forced to rely on the headmaster to try and figure out what they were talking about.

"But you still have the fact it has to be verbal, very disadvantageous in a duel…"

"They are just talking about spells," whispered Hermione. "I say we go back up to our dorm before we freeze our feet off"

"We need to sneak into the forest if I am to flame us."

"Well, let's go now before they see us," whispered Hermione. She and Ron stood up and tried to sneak away. In the grey dusk they weren't completely invisible and Harry concentrated briefly and managed to darken the place a bit more. Shadows crept in from the forest like mist and seemed to swallow Ron and Hermione.

He was sure that neither Snape nor Tokovsky had seen him so therefore he was surprised when he heard a shout.

"Who goes there?" Tokovsky shouted from the path. Harry continued to sneak towards the forest, convinced the headmaster had seen someone else. "Chaos?"

Harry stopped at hearing his name being called. How did he know? He stayed quite still, watching as they walked closer and tried to hear what they were saying.

"It was probably a student," said Snape's voice. "They sneak around all the time, thinking the curfew is only for the teachers' amusement."

"No, I thought it might have been someone else…" said the headmaster and Harry imagined him peering into the darkness.

"Something like...?" asked Snape curious and a bit apprehensively.

"A wizard, who is quite accomplished at sneaking in where he isn't supposed to be," said the headmaster in a thoughtful voice before he called out in the dark again. "Chaos?"

It was quiet for a moment before Snape spoke up. "If it was someone there he is probably gone by now. But maybe we should…" He was cut off though when Harry abruptly stepped out from the shadows, his arms crossed over his chest. In a flash Snape had drawn his wand and trained it at Harry.

"I found it quite impossible to ignore it when my name was shouted all across the grounds," he said in a bland voice and inclined his head towards the two men. "Headmaster Tokovsky, Professor Snape."

"Who are you?" asked Snape in an icy voice.

"I'm Chaos." He couldn't help but to give a toothy grin at Snape's expression.

"The Hogwarts grounds are off limits for the public, but I'm sure you are aware of the fact seeing as you are sneaking inside in the cover of darkness," informed Snape and stared hard at Harry. He could feel the faintest touch of legllimensy against his shields but he easily brushed it away, it wasn't meant to penetrate, merely check if he had any shields.

"Wrong Professor Snape, I am, in fact, sneaking out," he said with a gracious smile. Then he frowned and looked towards the headmaster. "But I must confess I'm curious as to how you discovered I was here. I'm not accustomed to being found out."

"I don't think I will tell you," said the headmaster in a slightly teasing voice.

Snape looked at the headmaster in surprise. "You know this man?"

Tokovsky glanced at Snape, not willing to let Chaos out of his sight for even a second. "Well, know is maybe the wrong word; he appeared in my cabin one night. I've been wondering if I would run into you again."

"Chaos?" A woman suddenly called from the forest, and the two men looked in the direction of the shout in hopes of seeing the person.

"I'm always around but I'm afraid I have to go now." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" called Snape suddenly. "What is your business here?"

"Why would you need to know that?" asked Harry amusedly. "You don't even know who we are." He looked at them for a second before nodding, coming to a decision. "Talk to Headmaster Tokovsky. If you ever need us, one of our associates will get in touch with you."

"And who are these associates? Anyone in this school?"

"You'll know when they contact you. Good evening gentlemen." With that Harry turned around and ran towards the forest, fading into the darkness in a matter of seconds, leaving two wizards to stare bemusedly after him.

When he had found Ron and Hermione, hiding just at the edge of the forest, they flamed back to their dorm, landing right on Harry's bed. Hermione quickly got up and shot a locking spell on the door, not wanting anyone to come in and see them looking as Fire, Ice and Chaos.

"You know the others will be cross with us if they discover we have locked the door again," commented Harry.

"It will be worse if they see us like this," replied Ron as he shrugged off his large robes. He had started to return to his own age and the clothes were getting too big for him. Harry and Hermione had also started to de-age and Harry disappeared into the bathroom to remove his makeup and lenses.

When he came out he found Ron sitting cross-legged on the bed with Hermione tending to his shoulder. A large purple bruise had started to form and Ron grimaced when Hermione massaged some salve on it.

"I still say it went rather good," said Ron. "Us against the whole auror department and only a bruised shoulder."

"I think you sprained it," commented Hermione. "It must have hurt a lot to run around with."

Ron just shrugged, showing it wasn't too bad.

"Well, I'm glad we got out of there alive," said Hermione as she sat down next to Ron and gave him a kiss. Suddenly she turned to Harry, her eyes sharp. "You got it?"

Harry brought out the black diary from his discarded robes and handed it to her and she gently ran her hand over its cover. "It's strange to imagine that a soul rests inside – it looks so insignificant."

"Shall we destroy it now then?" asked Ron. Harry nodded and raised his wand, and just as he had done when he destroyed the diadem, he filled his head with the intent of destroying the Horcrux.

"Fiendfire!" Hot liquid fire seemed to flood out from his wand and headed straight for the diary where it encircled it. It was scorching hot and they had to back away a couple of steps, but the heat was concentrating on the diary. A tortured scream rose up, loud and so alive it felt like a human's dying screams in face of fire. Then the diary fell together in a pile of ashes and the scream silenced abruptly.

Hermione gave a choked gasp and pressed her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide and tortured. Ron looked at her with concern but in the same moment the door handle rattled. Harry quickly looked at the pile of ashes before he unlooked the door. The door slammed open and a bunch of Gryffindors ran inside. Hermione retreated back to the bed and sat down, while breathing heavily. Harry knew she was fighting back tears.

"What happened?"

"Who screamed?"

"Excuse me! Let me through, I'm a prefect."

A tall and gangly prefect squeezed her way through the crowd which had stopped just inside the door. The she stopped and took in the scene in the room; Hermione sitting tensely on the bed, Harry and Ron standing over a suspicious looking scorch mark on the floor.

"What's going on here?" she demanded.

"Nothing, we were just trying a new spell, that's all," said Harry, while cursing himself for not having secured the room completely. But he had never thought the diary would scream that much.

"Just trying a spell?" she asked disbelievingly. "Who was screaming? And why is there a pile of ash on the floor?"

"I don't know," lied Harry, while thinking of how to get out of this fix, he couldn't very well obliviate a dozen of people at the same time but he knew she didn't believe him. The oppressive feeling of dark magic still lingered in the room. Not everyone would know it for what it was but everyone could feel it nonetheless.

"Well, you three can follow me to McGonagall straight away!" she said before she turned to the crowd who was still staring at the room, and particularly on the pile of ashes, trying to figure out what had happened.

"Evanesco," muttered Harry and vanished the ashes. No one would find any evidence in this room at least.

Ron had gone over to Hermione and pulled her up, he looked to Harry and the message was clear; Hermione wasn't fit to face an interrogation just now. Harry nodded and turned to the prefect.

"Ron and Hermione had nothing to do with it. I was the one who tried the spell."

Without waiting for the prefect's verdict Ron and Hermione disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door to all inquisitive eyes. "Hermione got frightened and screamed, I think she's still a bit shaken."

"Very well, but you'll be coming to McGonagall right now."

He nodded and after one last glance at the room and the closed bathroom door and walked after the prefect. The students parted before him and whispers started up behind his back. It felt surreal; was he back in the light after having successfully avoided it for so long? Bitterly he wished he had just waited to destroy the Horcrux, but he had wanted to get rid of it as quick as possible.

In the crowd he saw Neville and Ginny who was staring at him with narrowed eyes. Neville looked hesitant but the suspicion was nevertheless there. They would have to talk to him soon; he knew far too much of their doings.

The prefect led the way to the portrait hole and motioned for him to climb out. As he climbed outside he came face to face with Rose.

"Harry, there you are! I've been looking for you all over the place, you had the ma…" she abruptly fell silent when the prefect climbed after Harry.

"Come on Potter, let's go," she ordered.

"What have you done now?" asked Rose curiously.

"Something stupid."

"Well, don't get into a detention, mum and dad is here."

"What! Why?"

"Christmas dinner, dad and Sirius got permission form Dumbledore to have their families over. I've been looking for you all day!"

"Potter, come along then," snapped the prefect and Harry followed her automatically, his mind occupied with the exceptional bad timing. Why would his parents come just today and why hadn't he known. What if they had been discovered missing? Would anyone have connected their disappearance to the appearance of Fire, Ice and Chaos?

"Don't get a detention!" called Rose after him before they turned a corner.

What was the prefect going to say? How were they going to explain this away? Maybe it would be better to just memory charm her, but then they would have to have a reason for them to be in McGonagall's office, and that involved a little bit too much tampering with the prefects mind. He didn't mind tampering with people's heads but there was something about doing it to students that left a bad taste in his mouth. He wouldn't go back on his own principles.

Besides their scam would be unearthed with only the smallest amount of digging, and if he knew Hogwarts right, the entire story would be hot gossip before dinner.

So an excuse then.

_We had been practising a spell. What spell? The Caterwauling Charm_? _No, it doesn't leave ashes… what then. _

They arrived at their Head's office and the Prefect knocked. They had to wait for a long time before the door was opened.

"Yes? Miss Douglas, Mr Potter, what can I do for you?" By her tone, Harry guessed that she had been interrupted while doing something.

"Professor, can we come in?" asked Miss Douglas.

Wordlessly McGonagall stepped aside to allow them into her office. She closed the door after them and settled down behind her desk, motioning them to sit down the chairs.

"So what is this all about?"

"Um Professor, Potter and his friends did something in the boy's dorm," stated Miss Douglas nervously.

"They did something," repeated McGonagall in a stiff voice watching the prefect impatiently.

Miss Douglas quickly told her about the locked doors, the scream, the ashes, and through it all Harry watched McGonagall narrow her eyes more and more. _How am I going to explain this?_ He wondered despondently.

"… and, I don't know, it felt heavy, I don't know what they did in there but it didn't feel right," finished the prefect with a small blush. Harry watched McGonagall and was sure that she knew exactly what had been going on in that room.

"Thank you Miss Douglas, you did the right thing of coming to me." Then she turned to look at Harry who felt like he just had been nailed down on a lab table. "Mr Potter, would you like to tell me exactly what you and your friends have been doing and why your friends aren't here too?"

"Hermione wasn't feeling too well and neither of them had anything to do with the… experiment."

"Now then, would you like to tell me exactly what you had been doing?" It wasn't a request.

"I was just trying a new spell, professor," he said innocently.

"What kind of a spell," her return was sharp and Harry knew better than to stall.

He sighed and sat up straighter. "It was an illusion charm; it was supposed to create a trick image of something."

"And what was the name of the spell?" When Harry didn't answer she narrowed her eyes and snapped, "Mr Potter!"

"It was called Praestigiae," he answered unwillingly.

McGonagall stilled for a moment and Harry knew why; Praestigiae was an above NEWT level charm, not even taught at Hogwarts. Not to mention; while not Dark it certainly wasn't Light. He doubted even Hermione's reputation as a bookworm would help them out of this one.

"That is a very advanced charm, Mr Potter. Where did you find information of such a spell?"

"Professor Moody told us of it," replied Harry in a low voice, this time not faking how apprehensive he felt. He wasn't too sure if it was a good idea to involve the Death Eater in this.

McGonagall's lips became thin line and she turned to the prefect. "Miss Douglas, would you be so kind to fetch Professor Moody for us?" she asked, still sounding a bit angry.

"Yes Professor."

"If he isn't in his office, look in the teachers' room."

When Douglas had closed the door after her McGonagall turned back to Harry. "Well Mr Potter, I must say I am appalled at the lack of judgement you have shown. Do you know what could have happened?"

_Hmm… go for innocent schoolboy or actually look like I knew what I was doing…_

"Yes I know what could have happened," he said finally and looked at her.

"Then you know that you used a powerful charm for the first time without supervision in your dorm room? What would you have done if it had failed?"

_It wouldn't have failed_, Harry wanted to answer but felt that might be pushing it too far. In the end he settled for shrugging. McGonagall wasn't appreciative of the negligent gesture.

"I'd say, never in my life…. What of Mr Weasley and Miss Granger then?"

"They weren't involved, Hermione got frightened by the illusion and screamed."

"What kind of illusion did you conjure?"

"An…" he hesiated for a moment, he was going to say a dementor but wasn't sure if this world's Harry knew of the vile creatures. "…thestral," he replied and immediately regretted it. This world's Harry probably never had seen anyone die. _I'll say I saw a picture of them_, he thought, well aware of the fact that pictures rarely were enough to sustain an illusion.

McGonagall studied him for a moment but didn't call on his lie. In the end she settled on something else. "I think you are lying to me." Harry remained unmoving, his face betraying nothing, he had after all been expected to be caught in the act. "I find it very hard to believe that Miss Granger and Mr Weasley wouldn't take part in this. You do everything together, no?"

"You actually accuse Ron and Hermione to use dangerous charms? You have no proof!" He felt he had quite overstepped his boundaries but it was difficult arguing with someone he couldn't treat as his equal.

"The only thing I accuse anyone of is this irresponsible use of magic in the dorms and Mr Weasley and Miss Granger is just as responsible for allowing it to happen."

"They didn't know exactly what the spell would do," invented Harry. "I had told them it was a spell I had found in the library. Hermione would never break rules."

"And why didn't you go to one of the teachers to try out the charm, I'm sure Professor Flitwick would have been more than glad to help you. Or Professor Moody, if he indeed gave the charm to you."

"I didn't want to bother anyone, and I thought that… with my grades being as they were no one would believe that I could do it. I wanted to show everyone I could and the charm seemed difficult enough."

"I'm still having difficulties believing you succeed," she said in a slightly disbelieving voice before straightening back on track again. "But that isn't the point, for this irresponsible behaviour I take fifty points from Gryffindor and you'll serve detention for the next fortnight. And I want to know if you have learned any other high level spells?"

"No Professor, no other spells," he said in despondent voice, knowing it was no way of getting her to go back on her punishment, and decided to take it as graciously as he could.

In that moment a knock was heard on the door and Moody came limping in. "I heard Potter was in trouble," he said in his gruff voice as his magical eye first swept the room and then landed on Harry. Harry had a feeling Crouch knew what was going on from the prefect and Harry could see the questions the man had. If only he would consent to play the role Harry now dumped in his lap.

"Thank you Miss Douglas, you may return to the common room now," said McGonagall and motioned for Moody to sit down.

When they were alone again she turned to Moody. "Professor Moody, today Potter attempted a highly advanced Illusion charm in his dorm room."

"Really now," he asked and glanced calculatingly at Harry. "Which one?"

"I was hoping you'd tell me, seeing as according to Mr Potter you were the one to give it to him." She cast a glance at Harry that told him, in no uncertain terms, to shut up.

"Ahh… yes that spell," said Crouch without blinking. "It was a while ago, boy. I thought you had given up on it." He was obviously stalling for time, having no idea what spell she was talking about. Quickly Harry closed his fist and discretely conjured a piece of paper with one word written on it. Then, rather conspicuous, he straightened it out under the table so McGonagall wouldn't see. Moody's magical eye saw straight through the table before smirking, looking at McGonagall.

"Professor Moody! The spell?" said McGonagall impatiently.

"Ah, the spell, Praestigiae, yes I taught it to Potter."

"Why Alastor?" asked McGonagall wearily. "It's is an advanced charm, not even taught at Hogwarts. I hardly think it is a suitable charm to teach three fourteen year olds."

Harry subtly shook his head and Moody frowned thoughtfully. "Three fourteen year olds? I only taught Potter, thought he had an aptitude for the subject."

McGonagall looked at Potter and sighed. "Well Potter, seems like you spoke the truth of your friends, they won't be punished."

"Thank you Professor," said Harry, truly grateful.

"That isn't to say, if this ever happens again the consequences will be more severe and the Headmaster will be notified. As it is now you still have to serve your detentions and I'll notify your parents."

Harry grimaced, he would be hearing that, he had no doubts about it and wondered if she knew they were already in the castle.

"You may go then, Mr Potter," she dismissed him and turned to Moody. "Professor Moody, may I have a word with you?"

With that Harry slipped out of the door. He stood indecisive for a moment, wanting to check on Hermione, he knew what had made her so upset. But he wanted to talk to the fake Moody first.

Fifteen minutes later, during which agitated voices had been heard from McGonagall's office, a rather flustered Moody stepped out from the office. Pausing slightly to collect himself he made his way down the hallway.

"Professor Moody?" Harry asked as he emerged from the shadows in an alcove. "May I speak to you for a moment?"

"You! You gave me problems back there boy!"

"I do apologise," replied Harry in a sarcastic voice as he fell in steps with Crouch.

Crouch glanced sideways at him. "By the way, how could you be so sure that I would be backing your story?"

"And what would McGonagall have said if I were to reveal your true identity?"

"After you had been caught using Dark Arts? Add to your suspicious behaviour…"

"That from the overly paranoid Auror," muttered Harry under his breath.

Crouch ignored him and continued as if nothing, "They would never believe you."

"But then we only would have to stay in her room for little less than an hour and your appearance would be revealed, Bartemius Crouch Jr."

Silence followed that statement and Harry could feel Crouch tensing next to him. They turned a corner and stopped in front of the office door of the Defence of the Dark Arts-professor. Crouch fumbled with the keys before unlocking three different locks. Harry was suddenly reminded of how the real Moody was imprisoned in his own trunk. Their old argument of what to do with Moody returned to him.

Inside the office, safely hidden from prying eyes and ears, both of them allowed themselves to drop their respective masks and they warily regarded each other. Harry remained with his back towards the door, an observer would think it a precaution; to have an escape route nearby, but Harry rather wished to be absolutely sure Crouch wouldn't be able to escape.

"How did you know about my identity?" asked Crouch, both his eyes fixed at Harry.

"I didn't know per say, but my associates knew and they also told me how to deal with you." Harry made a movement with his hand and Crouch snarled and raised his own wand. Harry dodged the first stunner which hit the wall behind him.

"Don't you need to keep up appearances?" asked Harry calmly as he dodged another stunner. Bringing out his own wand he let off a volley of curses. Crouch brought up a powerful shield but Harry had one of the curses ricochet off the wall behind him and hit Crouch in the back. He sagged down but wasn't stunned completely; the curse must have lost power against the wall. "Petrificus Totalus," intoned Harry and Crouch seized up.

For a moment Harry just stared at him, very, unsure of what to do. _Ron and Hermione is going to kill me_, he thought miserably. _I just had to confront Crouch. _He would have to fix this mess by himself.

Crouch's bulging eyes followed him when he squatted beside him, having made his decision. "I'm going to take Moody with me, don't worry, I won't free him. We would prefer it if Dumbledore wasn't made aware of our existence. We will supply you with samples of his hair, on the condition that you don't report these happenings to your master. We will have methods to know if you do." That was a blatant lie of course, but Crouch didn't know that. "If you tell him, then we will stop give you hair and your entire scheme will be revealed."

He stood up again and stupefied him. With the keys he found in Crouch's robes he unlocked the seven compartment trunk. It was exactly like he remembered it from his fourth year. Hurrying down the ladder he crouched down next to a sleeping Moody.

The old Auror was skinny, but not as emaciated as he remembered. He had still big patches of missing hair on his head and his eye socket was empty as was his left leg. Moody stirred slightly and Harry cast a sleeping charm on him.

_So… where shall I take you then? The cave? Room of Requirements? The Chamber of Secrets?_ The cave would be cold now in the winter. And he wasn't too fond of having him in a place where he could easily escape from. _Right then, Chamber it is. _

Transfiguring Moody into a knarl, which he thought was oddly fitting, was easy and he put the snoozing creature in his pocket. He didn't bother with cleaning the office, figuring Crouch could deal with that when he woke up, then he flamed away.

He appeared in the Chamber of Secret and quickly hurried through to the second cavern. There he quickly transfigured a stone into a cage and gently put the knarl inside. He put in a bowl of water, even if he suspected that Moody the paranoid Knarl wouldn't drink a drop of it, and locked the cage. After that he went to check on the basilisk eggs and was surprised to see a small crack had appeared at the largest one. He was tempted to stay a bit longer and inspect them closer but Hermione and Ron was waiting for him. With a silent Wingardium Leviosa he levitated Moody's cage to a safe distance from the eggs. It wouldn't do to have Moody petrified and eaten by Basilisk if they happened to hatch.

He flamed away and appeared in a little used corridor not far from the Gryffindor tower. He didn't want to apparate all the way for he wasn't sure if Ron and Hermione still occupied the bathroom. He thought of Hermione and sped up.

"There you are Harry! I thought Rose had managed to get hold of you by now," called Lily's voice from behind him.

Harry turned around with a smile, wondering if he could simply obliviate her and continue on is way. "Hi mum, she did but I had to talk to Professor McGonagall first, I was just on my way to your quarters."

"Why did you have to talk to Professor McGonagall about, was it your grades? I haven't told you how happy I am they've finally improved."

"Only a dozen times in your letters, mum," he replied exasperated and found himself shepherded along with her.

"Well you deserve it, I knew you could to it, you only needed to make an effort. You have an amazing determination when you want to."

"Thanks mum, but Professor McGonagall wanted to talk about something else, I think she will tell you later on."

"Been up to mischief have you?" asked Lily in a joking voice. "I swear you become more and more like your father everyday." She laughed, showing that she didn't mind too much.

"I don't! I'm not like my father, not at all!" protested Harry stubbornly. He was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Mum? Did you know about dad and Snape?"

"Professor Snape," corrected Lily out of habit, Harry easily shrugged off the admonition. "But what have they been up to this time?" she questioned in an annoyed voice.

"They were fighting after the Yule ball, dad doesn't seem to trust Professor Snape."

"No he doesn't, but that doesn't mean he is right. Professor Snape is a good person, I would trust him with my life."

Harry stared at her, momentarily baffled with her conviction. To trust someone that much, but then again, he trusted Ron and Hermione that much, if not more.

"Why? He is so…" He couldn't even find a word to use. Ron's epithet of greasy git, wouldn't be received well in present company.

"Unpleasant?" smiled Lily. "He has little patience for most people, but he is trustworthy."

"I still don't understand why you are friends with him," said Harry in a petulant voice, still having difficulties accepting Snape on her words alone.

"Don't worry, James doesn't get it either, all I can say is that we were friends a long time ago and we are mature enough to value that friendship."

Harry just nodded, still not convinced, but he allowed doubts to fill him.

"How about dad then? Do you trust him with your life?"

"What a silly question, of course I do!"

They got up to the sixth floor where James and Sirius' quarters were located. Harry was a bit curious, even though half of the school year was over he had yet to see James and Sirius' guest quarters. It turned out to be a smaller apartment, with two bedrooms one bathroom and in the middle of it all a living room. A living room currently filled with people.

"Harry!" Two voices shouted at the same time and he didn't have time to turn around before two smaller bodies attached themselves to him. He looked down to see Lucinda and Sienna, Sirius' two daughters, clinging to him in the same way they always did when he were within grabbing distance.

"Merry Christmas!" greeted Sienna happily, letting go of him briefly to smile widely at him.

"Merry Christmas," returned Harry, before grinning at her. "You have lost your milky teeth?" he said, nodding towards several gaps between her pearly white teeth.

"Three already!" replied Sienna happily, smiling even wider to show.

"Harry! Do you know where we are?" whispered Lucinda excitedly, giving him no time to reply she continued. "We're at Hogwarts. At Hogwarts!" she giggled uncontrollably. "I will be the only one in my year who has seen Hogwarts before she starts. Could you show me around? I want to see the Great Hall and…"

"But that ruin it for you when you start next year, won't it?" objected Harry.

"That's what mum said, but can't you just show me one thing? I'd be happy with just the corridor outside, just see the portraits? Please."

"No I don't think I will, after all it's only half a year till you'll see it for real."

"Pleeeeease!" her voice had taken on a whiny quality but fortunately he was saved by Remus.

"Harry is right Lucinda, it will be much more fun for you if it's a surprise," Remus said reasonably, coming up behind them.

"Everyone!" shouted Lily and the room quietened down. "Time for dinner! Please sit down, Professor Dumbledore was kind enough to tell the houseelves to make us a Christmas dinner."

They all crowded around a table Lily had just finished enlarging so that it took up almost all space in the cramped room.

"This is wonderful," said Sirius in a happy voice as he pulled his wife into a hug and kissed her. "I thought I would be stuck on duty all Christmas, instead I get to celebrate it with my family and friends. This is brilliant!"

"We'll be sure to thank Professor Dumbledore before we leave tomorrow," said Talia as Sirius pulled out a chair for her and she sat down.

Harry was sure he had never eaten that much food before. He felt uncomfortably full and sat slumped in his chair, playing drowsily with his napkin while paying half hearted attention to the adults talking in the room. Lily and Talia were laughing at something that had happened them in Diagon Alley last week while Sirius and Remus were discussing something heatedly at the other end. James came in through the door, holding the butterbeer he had been set out to get.

"That's my man, Jamsie!" said Sirius enthusiastically. "You didn't forget my little burner did you?" he continued conspiratorially.

James rolled his eyes. "Off course not, Padfoot," he said and brought out a small small bottle from his pockets.

Sirius took it gingerly and looked sceptically at the bottle. "It's shrunken, it has to be, right." He tapped the bottle with his wand but it remained the same. "Prongs, why does my Fire Whiskey not grow to an acceptable size?" he whined and shook his fire whiskey.

"This is the right size Padfoot. I asked them for their smallest bottle and that's what I got."

"It is illegal to make miniaturized fire whiskey bottles," said Sirius, not longer listening to James.

"No it's not Sirius," reminded Remus patiently.

"Just drink it already Sirius," snapped James impatiently. "You know Talia doesn't approve of you drinking anyway."

"But a decent fire whiskey on Christmas…" said Sirius despondently before catching his wife's glare and shutting up.

"It took you long enough to get back," said Remus, when he decided that Sirius had stopped whining.

"I ran into Caleb and Morrison in Hogsmeade, they've been called in for duty."

"Why?"

James lowered his voice, which immediately caught Harry's attention and he started listening more attentively.

"Apparently there has been a break-in at the ministry. They said three people had managed to infiltrate the DMLE and stolen something from the Archive."

"You're kidding!" said Sirius in a loud voice.

"No, no one knows who they are, but according to Caleb they played a game of tag with the whole department."

"Can't have been too difficult," said Remus thoughtfully. "I mean, it's Christmas, the department must have been mostly empty."

"It's got quite tight security still Moony," said Sirius. "I wish I knew how they did it. I mean just to actually steal something from the Archive! Remember when we got lost there, back when we were newbies?"

"Never thought we'd get out. That place didn't make any sense. According to Mad-Eye, only the Minister and the Head of DMLE knows how to get anything out of there."

"Then we better read the Quibbler tomorrow, I bet old Lovegood will have the conspiracy theories going."

"Anyhow, the Department called in all aurors not on duty. We are lucky Sirius, that we are on duty at Hogwarts. I do not fancy being stuck on guard duty in Diagon Alley, it's raining in London."

"Why is it bad guys never seem to celebrate Christmas? Remember that case we had two years ago? I mean why did she have to steal the house away on Christmas day?"

"Wait!" interrupted Remus with a smile. "Was that the time when that woman made her own house walk away?"

"Yeah, James and I tracked it through five counties."

"In a snowstorm too. Lily was so mad at me, I came down with the flu afterwards."

"What are you talking about?" Lily asked, having been roused from her chat with Talia.

"Nothing dear, just talking about when we tracked down that Cornflower woman's house."

Lily muttered something unintelligible about that and turned to Talia and whispered something which had both women giggle.

Dinner seemed to drag on forever for Harry. Lily insisted they sing Christmas carols, something Sirius eagerly supported and then they, to Harry's annoyance insisted on settling down in the sofas with tea. It wasn't until two hours later Harry was able to sneak away with some lame excuse to Lily. As soon he was outside the door he looked around quickly and, assured there were no portrait or witness around, flamed away.

Meanwhile, Ron had followed Hermione into the bathroom locked and warded the door. When he turned around he was not surprised to see Hermione leaning over the sink, her eyes closed and her breathing deep and controlled.

"It's stupid isn't," she said in a self-mocking voice. "And it's just simple things that make me flip." Her voice shook slightly, showing that she still wasn't really recovered and she took a deep steadying breath.

Ron came up behind her and circled his arms around her waist and leaned his cheek over her shoulder. "It's not stupid, love," he said softly. "You have seen a lot of horrible things and some times it just jumps back at you. It's not stupid."

She twisted around and buried her face in his chest, she wasn't crying, but she was still breathing in that deep, even way, that told Ron that she was struggling hard not to.

"Sometimes I wish I could just forget everything," murmured Hermione. "Just Obliviate and starting anew."

Ron sighed and just hugged her closer. He wasn't good at comforting. Hermione was the one who knew what to do and when she needed comforting… well then it was usually Harry and Ron together, making their blundering attempts at comforting. Now it was only Ron but he be damned if he gave up. He was Hermione's lover and he would do anything to see her smile. Or cry, in this case.

"We have started anew, didn't we all agree on that that is what this new world is?"

"It's not the same!" stated Hermione stubbornly. "The memories are still there, the people is still gone."

Ron was silent for a moment, mostly because he knew she was right, and didn't know how he could say anything else. "Hermione…" he started before trailing off, he looked at the door helplessly wishing Harry would come through and complete them. That didn't happen though and Ron just lowered his face in her bushy hair. "Hermione, it's all in the past, it's already happened and nothing will change it or make it undone. We have accepted it and moved on, true we remember it sometimes, but most of the times we are happy, right?"

She didn't answer, but he could tell from her posture that she was listening and continued encouraged. "You got me and Harry who love you more than anything else. We have each other, nothing else matters."

Two hours later the wards fell on the door and Harry slipped in. Ron and Hermione leaned against the cold, hard wall but Hermione seemed rather comfortably where she sat sprawled in Ron's lap. Ron gave him a reproachful look as Harry sat down next to them after he had redone the wards.

"Where have you been?" he asked in a growling voice.

"McGonagall wanted to talk to me and then there was a family dinner with the Potters. How is she?" asked Harry.

Hermione answered for herself, "I'm feeling much better now, honestly, I don't know what came over me."

"As long as you feel better, I'm glad Ron could stay with you," said Harry with a small smile and looked over to Ron seriously. "I came as soon as I could, love," he assured, not wanting Ron to believe anything else.

Ron sighed and reached out with his hand, "I know you did Harry, sorry." Harry caught his hand and gave it a soft kiss before leaning over and planted a kiss on Hermione's cheek.

"It's Christmas Eve," said Harry and sat down comfortably on the bathroom floor, looking intently at his two mates. "I know what we had planned but I wanted to ask… are you really sure you want to do this? We have been noticed a lot today."

The others were quiet for a moment, Hermione playing aimlessly with Ron's sleeve.

"I'm surprised you are the one to say that Harry," said Ron finally. "You're the one who have been climbing the walls from being cooped up in Hogwarts all these months."

"And by Godric I want to get out of here," said Harry with a dramatic sigh but continued in a much more composed voice. "But the Potters have hinted that we will be seeing each other again after breakfast, if I'm not there…"

"So leave a note or pretend to have gotten stuck in the vanishing cabinet or something," suggested Ron dead seriously. Harry glared at him with annoyance but to his surprise Hermione took Ron's stance.

"I agree with Ron. I think we need to get away for awhile, not long, but enough time to be just the three of us. We can deal with the consequences later."

Ron kissed her appreciatingly. "You're unusually blasé over our need to remain hidden."

"I don't want to be a prisoner in Hogwarts," stated Hermione in a firm voice. "We have accepted this self-enforced restriction on ourselves because we didn't really have any choice with the Trace still on us but now…"

"Now we can use our full powers freely, we can erase any traces we might leave and," said Harry with a sudden grin as he realized something. "We don't even have to stay at Hogwarts anymore! We are free to leave if we want to."

The other two smiled at that too, being back at Hogwarts was wonderful, they could experience school life without the life and death situations and just relax after the war. But they had always felt the underlying tension, the caution, the fear of getting caught. Now it wasn't as bad as before, if they were found out now they could just up and leave. Go to the other side of the world and no one could find them. It was a great relief.

"It's settled then? We leave?"

"Just for a day."

They all stood up and exited the bathroom, the dorm room was empty but they could hear a lot of noise from the common room. "They won't miss us," said Ron in a certain voice as Hermione pulled out a small bag from Ron's trunk, she being just as familiar with the boys' dorm and her boys' stuff by now.

"Ready to go," announced Hermione and the three gathered together close to each other and Harry concentrated briefly and flamed them away.

"No!" groaned Davies and looked with devastation at the orbs in the Department of Mysteries. The one covering Hogwarts had gone dark and instead the orb in Northumberland had started to glow. Aldwick came up behind him with a cup of tea and stared with an expressionless face at the orb. "It's Christmas Eve," grouched Davies, "Why do this strange magic have to act up tonight of all nights. I was hoping to go home."

"Magic of Christmas," said Aldwick but she too was completely baffled with the sheer randomness of the magical dissonance that the orbs were still picking up on. They had arrived at the ministry a couple of hours ago to find the place in complete chaos and in a disorderly lock down. When they eventually had been allowed access to the DMLE they had been able to find traces of the magic all over the place. No solid trace but they hadn't expected it since they knew the source had already returned to Hogwarts. Its stay there hadn't been too long though, as it seemed like the magic source had already left Hogwarts and heeded for Northumberland. Why, nobody could tell.

But at least it seemed like Derwent had been right with his theory about it being humans. The three that had broken into the DMLE were definitely wizards and completely soaked in this strange anomalic magic. Who they were and what were they planning no one knew.

"Aldwick!" called suddenly Croaker, boorish man, worked overtime on Christmas Eve, from his own office. "Mrs Bones wants to talk to you about that trace you've found."

Aldwick and Davies looked at each other, thinking exactly the same thing: great, now the aurors were going to butt in.

Meanwhile in a moor in Northumberland the three most sought after people in Britain appeared in a flash of fire. The repercussions from their ministry break-in last on their minds, secure as they were with the knowledge that they had left nothing on the sight that could track them. And they did not have the trace anymore which made them more relaxed than they had been in several months.

Their tracks in the snow trailed desolately after them as Ron quickly took the lead and disappeared behind a shrubbery. Harry and Hermione walked hand in hand, trusting Ron to find the way. Ron went wrong a couple of times. The winding and thorny bushes branched out like a maze around them and he had to backtrack a couple of times before coming upon an old stone wall. Giving a triumphant shout he quickly jumped over the wall like it was nothing. Hermione rolled her eyes, took one look at the wall that went to her shoulder, and promptly transformed into Goldeye. With four heavy beats of her wings she was over the wall and landed on Ron's shoulder. Ron watched her with gleaming eyes and petted her feathers gently when she didn't bother with transforming back. The bag they had brought with them flew over the wall and landed next to them. A second later Traceless leapt over the wall, landing soundlessly and gave them a glance before leaping into the bushes and disappeared, swiftly like a shadow.

Ron smiled and simply picked up the bag and followed him in a fast sprint. Goldeye took flight again and followed him from the air. They came upon a little used path and which led up to a small stone cottage. Traceless was already there and was busy sniffing around by the door and windows. When they approached he transformed back.

"It's empty, don't think anyone's been here for at least two decades.

"Good, would have been silly coming here otherwise," said Hermione. She raised her wand and unlocked the door.

They quickly searched through the house and found it satisfyingly empty. In their old world it had been a Death Eater safe house, a remote cottage no one had claimed with some distant, elusive connection to a pureblood family. Ron had said it was an old Squib House – a house used to house and hide away Squib relatives the family was ashamed off. Understandably not much in use lately.

In no time they had repaired the windows, stopped the draft from the floorboards and lit a fire in the fireplace. Harry and Hermione warded the cottage while Ron cleaned the table and put a new cover on the sofas.

"It's a bit sad that we couldn't come up with a better place to spend Christmas," said Hermione and looked over the small living room.

"I think it is cosy," said Harry and pulled out some puddings and treacle tarts the house elves had given them. Ron, with a look of deep concentration, lit the candles with a snap of his fingers, to the general applause of Harry and Hermione.

Together they burrowed down in the sofa, Hermione in the middle, Harry and Ron by her side. The fire crackled merrily basking the room in a warmth and light. Hermione sighed happily, utterly content at being here and now with her boys next to her. She searched under the blanket and found their hands. Just then both Harry and Ron leaned in at the same time and planted a kiss on her cheeks.

"Merry Christmas!" They all chorused.

After a long long wait it is finally finished. That I finally mustered the energy to finish the last parts (which had been annoying me since Christmas) is all thanks to Emily Redbird who wrote a long message and motivated me enough to finish the chapter. Thank you.


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